NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations

NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
Climate Change and Energy Options 

STIR Team
24 August 2021
Photo Source: CNN

Vol.1, No. 7, 24 August 2021

Cover Story 
by Lokendra Sharma, Akriti Sharma, Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok 



Climate Change and Energy Options for a Sustainable Future 
An Interview with Prof Dinesh Kumar Srivastava and Prof V S Ramamurthy

Recently, Prof Dinesh Kumar Srivastava, Homi Bhabha Chair Professor at NIAS, and Prof V S Ramamurthy, a well-known Indian nuclear physicist and former NIAS Director, authored a book entitled “Climate Change and Energy Options for a Sustainable Future”. The book explains global warming, climate change as well as various energy pathways like nuclear, solar and wind in an easily understandable language and uses more than 200 illustrations for this purpose. Primarily addressing the youth, the book is an important contribution to the developing scholarly discourse on climate change, energy, and sustainability. In a wide-ranging interview, we ask them questions ranging from ecology to the Himalayas, from extreme weather events to renewable energy sources, from Fukushima to the global energy grid. 

Natural disasters in the past have caused huge damage to the ecosystem but the planet has coped and recovered on its own. But can earth recover the same way from the damages inflicted during the Anthropocene Epoch?
Dinesh Kumar Srivastava (DKS): Nature will recover on its own. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for 140 million years, but they went extinct. Earth recovered and got populated with other living species. Earth will recover and revive slowly with time. Humans have no special place in nature’s lap. We are just one of the living species present on the planet.

V S Ramamurthy (VSR): The question is whether humans will be present on the planet or not when this revival happens. We have not inherited but borrowed the planet from our coming generations. So, the damage inflicted by humans on the planet is going to haunt the future generations but is not completely irreversible.

What is the ecological impact of wars/military conflict on the environment?
DKS: Wars have inflicted huge damage to the earth’s environment. For example, Romans soldiers used to sprinkle salt in their enemy’s field, so that the land could become barren, and no vegetation could grow. Mongols also destroyed a large number of forests because of which some land is barren even today. They completely butchered both humans and trees in large quantities; some of the tree species could not survive and got extinct. During the Vietnam war, the US used chemical warfare which had huge environmental implications. The US sprayed millions of litres of Agent Orange (a toxic compound) to target the crops and vegetation. Its ecological impacts are felt even today. Similarly, the Iraq war also had ecological implications. In the history of mankind, there are many examples where wars have inflicted huge destruction on the planet’s ecosystem. 

In the present times, the meat industry has been inflicting a significant amount of damage to the ecology. In Latin America deforestation is a concern. In Brazil and Argentina, the trees have been cut down to raise cows for meat export. In Indonesia, rain forests have been cleared to plant Palm for oil export. Therefore, politics and business have also played a huge role in inflicting damage to the ecology. Politics can help in reducing the ecological damage, but at the same time, it can also inflict damage.

VSR: Political and business interests are driven by short-term goals. Climate change has a long-term impact. To reduce the impact of climate change, planning has to be long-term. There is a clear contradiction between the political, business and environmental goals. We have to manage the contradictions and youth will play a significant role in addressing it. There has to be a comprehensive and balanced approach. 

What is the importance of the Himalayas for South Asia and the world? Climate change has had a huge impact on the Himalayas. Do you think regional cooperation is necessary for addressing the adverse impacts? What should be the role of epistemic communities?
DKS: The Himalayas shape the climate of India and China, two of the most populous countries of the world. Indian monsoons are dependent on the Himalayas. The mountains are the water towers of Asia and include rivers such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, and many other tributaries that are spread over in different countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan. The livelihood of people from not just South Asia but also South-East Asia depend on the Himalayas. If the Ganges dries up completely, the livelihood of 400 million people will be affected. Similarly, if the Brahmaputra dries up, it will affect the livelihood of three countries — India, China and Bangladesh. 

Himalayan glaciers are, particularly at risk. The glaciers reflect the sunlight away from the earth keeping the climate of the planet mild. If the glaciers melt, the increased exposed areas will absorb additional heat from the sun and will further lead to global warming. Climate is global and the impact of climate change is transboundary. Cooperation among the countries to address the impact of climate change is necessary. A single country cannot mitigate the impacts. The least developed countries have contributed least to climate change whereas the developed countries have been a major contributor to the same. Despite this, it is the former which are affected the most, and unlike the latter, do not have the advantage of economic or technological wherewithal. For example, in the recent heatwave in Canada, the cooling centres were activated for people to take refuge, something that poor countries in Africa can only imagine. 

VSR: The Himalayas are significant because it controls the weather and the monsoons. Erratic monsoons would be very troublesome for millions of farmers in South Asia. While some issues have a local impact such as water management, some issues are global in scope and hence require a global effort. If the temperature rises up by a degree or two, we cannot hold any single country responsible. While the degree may differ, all are responsible, and all will be affected. A large continental power like the US will be impacted by it as much as a small island state like the Maldives. The rise of sea level will impact the Maldives whether or not it is responsible for it. Therefore, some issues can be locally addressed whereas some need cooperation. Climate change belongs to the latter category. 

As far as the epistemic community (primarily, scientists) is concerned, their role is huge but limited. The scientific community discovered that coal was destructive to the planet's atmosphere about a hundred years ago. Scientists kept discussing the science of coal and its usage. So, while so much was known about coal, about emissions and about global warming, the action was taken only much later. Scientists are not policymakers. They are not the drivers of the country, politicians are. Politicians are the action-takers. There was a lack of dialogue between the two communities for a long. The first such serious dialogue between them happened in the 1970s. But despite decades of dialogue, and undeniable evidence produced by the scientific community, politicians still think worldwide that they can get away with current emissions levels and other status-quo policies.

The intensity, frequency and duration of extreme weather events are increasing. Climate change has a huge role to play in it, according to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. How can these extreme weather events be managed?
DKS: We cannot manage extreme weather events. We can only survive them. The force in a cyclone and floods is so profound that we cannot manage it. We can only predict and survive. Even if we stop all the emissions today, it will take thousands of years for the sea level to decrease. In the case of cyclones, we have an efficient early warning system. We have succeeded in reducing the human costs of cyclones, but we have not yet succeeded in making our infrastructure and cities cyclones resilient. If such events continue to rise, we can predict and prepare for the same in a better way. 

Energy consumption plays a very major role in the Human Development Index (HDI). But some countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have significant resources, have a very poor HDI. While countries that have comparatively fewer resources score high on HDI. Why is it so? 
VSR: Yes, Congo is rich in resources, but those resources are taken away by the developed countries, with very little going back. The Western countries bribe the politicians and the rulers in such countries while the common man does not get his share of the resources. So, business interests, exploiting the resources of an underdeveloped country like Congo because of poor quality political leadership, is responsible for this. But this will not continue forever. People of Congo, with time, will become more organised, more capable of utilizing their own resources. The example of China is also very instructive in this regard. China, from being an underdeveloped country whose resources were exploited by the Western powers in the past, today controls over 90 per cent of the rare earth supply chain. Not just that, you pick any sector like electronics or even renewables, China is sitting at the top. The thing that helped them and will help others in Africa is strategizing and planning. 

Non-conventional sources of energy are expensive. While countries want to move towards sustainability, how would they manage the cost factor? 

VSR: Renewable energy is not expensive. For the simple reason that the costing is done by business houses. Let us consider a coal power station. Those running such plants do not factor the cost of pollution into the cost of electricity. Who is paying the cost? Normal people are paying it through their health. Is this the right way to do it? We should, therefore, not get carried away by the arguments that this source is some paisa cheap or some paisa costly than others. I also ask, what is the cost of my grandson's life? We cannot put a cost on that. So, when we are considering the future, the cost cannot be a criterion. For a company, the cost may matter, but for humanity, it does not. What is more important is the question of feasibility. While renewables like solar and wind have literally unlimited fuel, they have their challenges, especially in storage. Batteries are dirty, expensive and have a large requirement of resources. And these resources, primarily lithium, are sources from countries like Congo and Nigeria. So, while there are many pressing issues associated with renewables, the cost is certainly not among them. 

In one of the chapters in the book, you have explained different types of hydrogen — green, blue, grey, turquoise. If green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, is such a promising solution to a lot of problems, like storage of energy and emissions, why are countries not working with that ferociousness on it as they are for solar and wind?
VSR: Hydrogen is more an energy carrier than a source of energy; it cannot be harnessed directly like others. It is the most abundant element in the universe and is present on earth in various forms. Hydrogen has to be first separated from other elements, and for this process, energy is required. If this energy is sourced from coal or fossil fuels in general, it is unhelpful. But if renewable energy is used for processing, then it is called green hydrogen and it solves a lot of problems. However, converting renewable energy like solar into electricity and then using that electricity to obtain hydrogen from water is not very efficient as some energy is lost at every step. 

While hydrogen will play a very important role in the global energy landscape, our assessment is that not every sector will be able to benefit and even in, let's say a few decades from now, the share of hydrogen in the total energy mix would be no more than a few per cent. Subsequently, it may rise. And talking about the present, hydrogen technologies are not mature enough to completely take over from other energy sources. There are national programs on hydrogen, which have a lot of fanfare, and they will continue with fanfare without much substance.

The nuclear industry has been declining globally after the Fukushima accident and the utilization of thorium still remains a dream. Given this, where do you think the global nuclear power sector is headed? Do you think it will see a revival in future?
VSR: The revival will happen for sure. But before looking into the present or the future, it would be useful to look into the past. I believe that had the world continued with nuclear energy the way it was planned in the 1950s, climate change would not have assumed the kind of enormous proportion that it has today. But, three things happened in the second half of the 20th century which stifled these dreams. First, the US and USSR decided that the spread of nuclear technology was dangerous owing to proliferation concerns. While they exported reactors to developing countries for civilian energy purposes, they were careful to not share the technology. Nevertheless, China became a nuclear weapons state in the 1960s and India did a Peaceful Nuclear Explosion in the 1970s. Apart from the p-5, four other states have nuclear capabilities now. So while they could not effectively stop the percolation of weapons technology, the efforts of the US and USSR did stymie the civilian sector.  Second, in the 1990s, they became concerned about terrorist organisations like the Taliban getting their hands on uranium and this concern further stymied the spread of nuclear technology and materials. While one can steal a vial of a virus from any laboratory, it is extremely difficult to steal even little quantities of uranium. 

The US has not built a single reactor for the last 20 years. European countries like Germany, which had companies manufacturing important components for nuclear power plants, are today making primarily consumer goods. US companies that used to design and build nuclear reactors have gone bankrupt. In my view, the US and Europe have willingly given away their leadership positions in nuclear technology. Now, who will take their place? China, India and South Korea will be the beneficiaries. China has ambitious expansion plans to become a world leader in energy.

Third, nuclear accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima have also played their role. Chernobyl was part of the USSR and even though USSR was a member of the IAEA, this reactor was not part of any international supervision. There was a design fault in the reactors at Chernobyl. Why were reactors with design faults allowed to continue? For political reasons! There’s no other rationale. With regards to Fukushima, few years before the accident, a safety review group from the IAEA visited the Fukushima power plant and they raised issues about the safety of the plant-like keeping the emergency power generators at low elevations. They warned that this plant would be vulnerable to a tsunami. But the plant operators did nothing about it. All the plants on the coast which had taken care of this were absolutely safe while only Fukushima was affected. Fukushima failed because they ignored the expert views.  

Frankly, the nuclear energy industry has not taken either its natural course or role. Politics has come into the picture and distorted it. Fortunately, India has not succumbed to the various pressures and is continuing to expand the programme. So, it is our understanding that despite all the past, nuclear energy will see a revival. 

You have suggested a global energy grid as a solution to climate change and energy issues. But given the challenges of not just geography, but also interested inter-state politics, how feasible would this be?
VSR: There are very little transmission costs associated with transporting electricity over long distances. Compare this with the costs involved in transporting something like oil, for instance. Global grid, drawing from this ability to transport electricity over long distances without incurring significant costs, emerges as a promising idea. But it is not a new idea; it is not our idea.  A few decades back, Buckminster Fuller had suggested this. He said there is no night and day in renewable energy as when it is dark in one part of the world, it is sunny in another. So if we can connect the globe, we can get 24 hours of electricity from sunlight everywhere. He asked, why can't we have a global grid? A global grid solves the problem of solar energy being generated only 6 hours a day in an isolated plant. And we no longer need to solve the battery problem. Solar energy which hits the face of the earth is several times more than the world’s yearly energy requirement. China has already started thinking of building a grid across the arctic. Even India is moving forward to have a larger solar grid as part of the International Solar Alliance. People ask will Pakistan and China agree to a regional grid? Why would they not agree if they get electricity, 24 hours a day? The only thing required is to sit with them and discuss. It is a political issue. It is not that it is impossible to have a global energy grid. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, common good will prevail over political differences and you will have a global grid. 

The example of mobile phones is very illustrative. Through my mobile, I can talk to anyone in the world at any time. Was this possible a few decades back? When we went abroad for the first time, it was hard even to inform our families that we had reached safely. We had to rely on costly and unreliable telephone operators. Today, we do not depend on anyone. If we are making an international call, it can be made to anyone, anywhere at any time. So, if the world can be linked globally for one kind of electrical signal, voice or data, why can’t it happen for the electricity itself? 

About the interviewers
Lokendra Sharma and Akriti Sharma are PhD Scholars, Avishka Ashok and Sukanya Bali are Research Associates, at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS



In Brief 
by Lokendra Sharma and Akriti Sharma 

Unfolding Chinese tryst with cryptocurrencies 
On 22 August, a high court in China’s Northern Shandong province ruled that “cryptocurrency is not protected by law”. The court was dealing with a case of an investor’s crypto accounts being closed by Chinese authorities after the central bank enforced the ban on crypto transactions. The plaintiff investor has bought digital coins endorsed by three friends in 2017 worth USD 10,756. But, in 2018, the central bank barred payment institutions from supporting crypto transactions. Plaintiff’s appeals in the lower courts have already been rejected. 

This ruling is not an isolated event. It is part of the larger Chinese crackdown on cryptocurrency which began in 2013 when third-party payment companies were barred from dealing with bitcoin. Then in 2017, they placed a ban on token sales and in 2019, they targeted crypto exchanges. In May this year, China placed a comprehensive ban on financial institutions in dealing with cryptos. Then in June, China launched a massive crackdown on cryptocurrency mines, shutting down as much as 90 per cent of mining capacity. 

The crackdown has resulted in a migration of Chinese companies which had set up mining farms in the interior regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and Yunnan due to the availability of cheap electricity from coal and hydropower stations. These companies are shipping their costly computers specifically built for mining purposes to countries like the US, Kazakhstan and Russia. The crackdown and migration have affected the cryptocurrency ecosystem, coming at a time when the values of major cryptos like bitcoin have been nosedived in value. Even though it is yet to be seen how resilient these miners would prove to be, and whether they would find other cost-effective locations to operate from, this great migration has resulted in further diffusion of mining power, thus benefiting the crypto ecosystem in the long run.   

(Coco Feng, “Court in China says cryptocurrency ‘not protected by law’ in ruling that could set a precedent for bitcoin lawsuits”, South China Morning Post, 23 August 2021; Caitlin Ostroff and Elaine Yu, “Cryptocurrency Companies Are Leaving China in ‘Great Mining Migration’”, Wall Street Journal, 22 August 2021; MacKenzie Sigalos, “China’s war on bitcoin just hit a new level with its latest crypto crackdown”, CNBC, 7 July 2021)

Africa: Ivory Coast reports the first case of Ebola after 26 years
On 14 August, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the health ministry of Ivory Coast confirmed its first case of the Ebola virus since 1994. The patient had travelled from Guinea to the country. On 19 June 2021, WHO had declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Guinea following which six neighbouring countries: Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Liberia were put on alert. However, there has been no evidence of the link between the outbreak in Guinea and the Ivory Coast yet. On 6 August, the health ministry of Guinea reported its first case of the Marburg virus.

Ebola virus is a fatal disease. The average fatality rate of the virus is 50 per cent. It was first transmitted through the direct contact of humans with the blood or bodily of ill or dead animals such as the fruit bats, monkeys, wild antelopes, chimpanzees, gorillas and porcupines. The symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, body pain, headache and sore throat. Marburg virus disease is a highly infectious disease with a fatality rate of 24-90 per cent. It can be transmitted through contact with body fluids or tissues of the infected person or animals including fruit bats and monkeys. The symptoms include severe fever, headache, diarrhoea and malaise. Ebola and Marburg belong to the same family of viruses.

The epidemics are more common in Africa and Asia due to population explosion, changing urban landscapes, subsistence agriculture, inadequate housing, feed supplementation, and disease control of animals, high direct contact with animals such as pigs, chickens, cattle’s which can be carriers of various kinds of virus. In Africa, the outbreak of the Ebola virus can be attributed to population growth, increasing human-wildlife interaction, encroachment of forests, consumption of bushmeat. Animals like fruit bats have been found to be major transmitters of Ebola throughout Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been a major victim of Ebola since the first outbreak in 1976. One of the main reasons why the country has faced the most numbers of Ebola outbreaks is rich forest covers and fruit bats which are believed to be reservoirs of the disease.(WHO, Ebola virus disease, 23 February 2021)(WHO, Marburg virus disease, 7 August 2021)(Al Jazeera, Guinea identifies 58 contacts of Ebola patient in Ivory Coast, 19 August 2021)(Dina Fine Maron, Why Does Ebola Keep Showing Up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?, Scientific American, 11 May 2018)(Suresh V Kuchipudi, Why So Many Epidemics Originate in Asia and Africa, U.S. News, 4 March 2020)



S&T Nuggets 
By Sukanya Bali, Avishka Ashok and Juan Mary Joseph 

Technology
The US: Californian team of scientists discover a breakthrough in nuclear fission 
On 17 August, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion research after successful experimentation in the National Ignition Facility. Through the experiment, the team discovered that fuel pellets containing deutrerium and tritium could be exposed to heat using lasers to produce more energy. The co-director at Imperial College London commented on the experiment and said: “The megajoule of energy released in the experiment is indeed impressive in fusion terms, but in practice, this is equivalent to the energy required to boil a kettle.” The research makes use of new diagnostics and improved laser precision to create conditions similar to the core of the sun. (Aswathi Pacha, Explained: Nuclear fusion and the recent breakthrough, The Indian Express, 20 August 2021)

The US: Tesla to launch humanoid prototype robot 
On 19 August, the CEO of Tesla Inc Elon Musk hinted at the launch of a humanoid robot prototype in the coming year while speaking at the company’s AI day event. The objective behind the “Tesla bot” is to prevent humans from engaging in dangerous, repetitive or boring tasks. The bot will be five foot and eight inches tall and will be capable of handling all menial and dry tasks such are attaching bolts to getting groceries. Musk also looked at the project as a means to tackle the labour crunch in Western countries and aimed to make it cheap and affordable. He said: “The robot would have profound implications for the economy.” (Hyunjoo Jin, Musk says Tesla likely to launch humanoid robot prototype next year, Reuters, 20 August 2021)

The US: Electric Vehicle industry showcases upsurge in demands 
On 20 August, Reuters published a report on the surge in demands in the electric vehicle industry. According to the report, the increased demands act as a bonanza for the factory equipment manufacturers who produce automated parts for the electric vehicles. The US Census Bureau reported that the new orders for the EV were worth over USD 506 million, a tremendous jump from April 2020 when it amounted to USD 361.8 million. This upsurge in the industry signifies great success for robot and equipment makers who will benefit from the industry. The growth in demand is also credited to the vast success of the Tesla EVs. There is also a visible growth in the investments in the industry with automakers pledging to contribute over USD 37 billion to production plants by 2025. (Ben Klayman, The electric vehicle boom is pay-dirt for factory machinery makers, Reuters, 20 August 2021)

Australia: Flubot malware affects thousands of android users 
On 20 August, the Guardian reported that thousands of Australians were targeted by a text message scam that installs malware on mobile phones called “Flubot”. The malware primarily attacks android phones and makes the users access a link to download software which enables the attackers to access credit card details, messages, browse through the internet pages and other information on the phone. The same malware had also affected more than 3,700 users in Europe earlier this year. According to Scamwatch, more than 413 scam reports were registered every day between 4 and 17 August. The spokesperson for TPG, a phone service provider, revealed that the company had blocked more than 14 million spam messages in one week. He said: “As scammers constantly morph their tactics, we continually update our filters and mechanisms to catch new scams.” (Josh Taylor, Australians hit by ‘Flubot’ malware that arrives by text message, The Guardian, 20 August 2021)

The US: Computational simulation suggests increasing output from wind farms by installing windbreaks
On 10 August, Science News reported that contrary to widespread belief, windbreaks could help in boosting the output of wind farms. According to physicists, the low walls that block the wind can be used productively to increase the output of wind farms. Windbreaks create a physical obstacle in front of the windmills, increasing the speed of the wind above the windbreak as the air rushes over the structure. A new computational simulation revealed that the output from wind farms would be far greater if a windbreak was placed before each turbine. The best output can be obtained if the windbreaks are 1/10th the size of the turbine and five times the size of the blade. Through this method, the total power output can be increased by ten per cent. (Emily Conover, Windbreaks, surprisingly, could help wind farms boost power output, Science News, 10 August 2021)

Space

China: Rocket for the Tianzhou-3 mission arrives at launch site
On 16 August, the Long March-7 Y4 rocket for the Tianzhou-3 mission, which will launch the new cargo craft of China’s space station, arrived at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China's Hainan Province. The manned spacecraft and carrier rocket for the Shenzhou-13 manned space mission are also undergoing preparations at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said that the facilities and equipment at both launch sites are in good condition and are undergoing orderly preparations. (Huaxia, Chinese rocket for Tianzhou-3 mission arrives at launch site, Xinhuanet, 23 August 2021)

India: GSLV launch suffers failure
On 12 August, the GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) carrying a new Earth-observation satellite (EOS-03) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) suffered a failure shortly after its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The failure has been attributed to a technical anomaly that led the GSLV from not igniting at its cryogenic third stage. The GSLV launch failure, the first of its kind since 2017, has broken a streak of 14 successful launches for the ISRO. The Earth observation satellite, lost with the rocket, was designed to be a state-of-the-art tool for ISRO to study near real-time images of India, track natural disasters and other short-term events, collect data to assist agriculture and forestry by monitoring crop health for at least the next 10 years. Five other missions which were due to be launched by the end of 2021 will likely be put on hold as ISRO investigates the cause for the GSLV launch failure. (Tariq Malik, Indian rocket suffers catastrophic failure during launch, Earth-watching satellite lost, Space.com, 12 August 2021)

Chile: Remote fishing hamlets to receive free internet from Starlink
On 19 August, Reuters reported that Sotomo and Caleta Sierra, two remote fishing areas in Chile, h been chosen to receive free internet for a year as part of a pilot project run by Elon Musk’s Starlink, a division of SpaceX. The project which aims to roll out 12,000 satellites as part of a low-Earth orbiting network to provide low-latency broadband internet services around the world focuses on remote areas that terrestrial internet infrastructure struggles to reach. The company has also since October, been offering a 'Better Than Nothing Beta' program to subscribers in the US, in order to generate the funds for SpaceX to develop a rocket capable of flying paying customers to the moon and eventually attempt to colonize Mars. (Pablo Sanhueza, WIDER IMAGE Elon Musk's satellites beam internet into remote Chilean fishing hamlet, Reuters, 20 August 2021)

The US: The cybersecurity risks in space technology
On 21 August, Forbes published an article about why space is the next frontier for cybersecurity. The main cybersecurity challenges in space arise from the scale, distance, the criticality of systems, the functioning of equipment and the lack of international cybersecurity cooperation. Hacking of earth-based systems could lead to an inter-space collision and potentially affect communications systems globally. In addition, with more governments and private organizations becoming involved with space projects, it has also led to a significant increase of the number of potential access points for hackers. The rise of advanced technology, such as quantum computers, also poses a cybersecurity threat to the space-based ecosystem. The severe with space technology is another hurdle towards a safe space system that need to be overcome in the next few decades. Space equipment manufacturers Boeing and Northrup Grumman raised some important points at a recent webinar discussion on lowering cybersecurity risk. First, the need for upfront cybersecurity accountability for equipment, hardware and operating systems. Second, the need for private and public sectors to collaborate and conduct real-world cybersecurity scenarios before the equipment gets sent into orbit. Third, the need for governments and international bodies to implement global standards for hacker-proofing technology and existing cybersecurity standards that can be tweaked to make the space industrial ecosystem more secure. (John Shin, Why Space Is the Next Frontier for Cybersecurity, Forbes, 20 August 2021)

India: BRICS space agencies agree to share data from remote sensing satellites
On 18 August, the BRICS Space Agencies Heads, under India’s BRICS Chair ship, signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing in the presence of officials from respective external/foreign affairs Ministries. The agreement, which enables the building of specified remote sensing satellites of BRICS space agencies is expected to strengthen multilateral cooperation and address challenges such as global climate change and disasters, as well as engage in environmental protection. (BRICS Space Agencies leaders signed Agreement for cooperation in Remote sensing satellite data sharing, ISRO, 18 August 2021)

Japan: JAXA aims to bring soil samples from Martian moons by 2029
On 20 August, Japan’s space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), announced that that it plans to launch an explorer in 2024 to land on the Martian moon Phobos to collect 10 grams of soil and bring it back to Earth in 2029. If successful, this would put Japan ahead of the US and China in bringing back samples from Mars. (Japan aims to bring back soil samples from Mars moon by 2029, The Associated Press, 20 August 2021)

The US: Space Force sets up a new field of the command
On 21 August, C4ISR reported that the U.S. Space Force is set to establish its third and final field command STARCOM on Aug. 23, The Space Training and Readiness Command / STARCOM will be in charge of the Space Force’s doctrine, training, test and education efforts and will be located at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. The establishment of STARCOM comes just days after the formal creation of the Space Systems Command on Aug. 13, which leads most of the Space Force’s acquisitions efforts. The new organization will oversee doctrine, training and professional education of Space Force military and civilian personnel, and will coordinate basic training and recruiting. (Nathan Strout, Space Force standing up STARCOM to train guardians, C4ISRNET, 21 August 2021)

Climate 
China: Green-push dilemma, what is new on the table 
On 18 August, Reuters reported on the calculation of National Bureau of Statistics data, Beijing “pledged to limit crude steel output this year at no higher than the 1.065 billion tones it made in 2020. To meet that goal, steel producers would have to cut output by roughly 10 per cent for the rest of 2021 from their record first-half pace.” According to BP, China is the world’s largest polluter contributing nearly 31 per cent of global CO2 emission. Among 31 Chinese provinces and regions reported decline from January to June in output. (Min Zhang and Gavin Maguire, “Analysis: Green-push dilemma: China’s steel curbs could cripple price control efforts,” Reuters)

South Korea: Federation of Korean Industries says companies are more vulnerable to ESG risks 
On 22 August, the Federation of Korean Industries stated many manufacturing industries face environmental, social, and corporate governance risks as compared to their European counterpart. The report highlighted, companies in South Korea, China, and India are more ‘vulnerable to risks stemming from global ESG trends.’ In contrast to France or the UK. According to Industrial Statistics Analysis, the service industry accounts for 80 per cent of France and the UK, 62.4 per cent for South Korea and 53.4 per cent for China’s economy. The federations said, “(Companies) should standardize ESG risk-related issues in advance in order to lower the chances of it happening and also prepare a process or governance that can react quickly when risks materialize.” (Yim Hyun-su, “Korean companies more vulnerable to ESG risks: report,” The Korea Herald) 

Arctic: IPCC report suggests further melting of Arctic Sea Ice 
According to the UN Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report, “Global warming will lead to further melting of sea ice, Greenland’s inland ice cap, and glaciers, as well as less snow and increased permafrost thaw.” The report highlighted the extension of the sea ice in the Arctic has reduced by 40 per cent in September to 10 per cent in March, which has been marked lowest in the least 1,000 years. By 2050, it is likely that the Arctic will be more or less free. (Peter B Danilov, “Arctic Sea Ice Level at Its Lowest Since 1850, According to New Report” High North News)

Arctic: Research discover phytoplankton produces biofuels 
Japanese Ocean Research and Development Organization reported the discovery of phytoplankton which produces components as gasoline in the Arctic Ocean. It raised speculation of new research on the development of new biofuels. Phytoplankton referred to as microalgae, which was first discovered in 2013 it is the base of several aquatic food webs and is consumed by a sea creature. Late July, NHK News reported, the organism produces the components as gasoline and diesel fuel. (Polina Leganger Bronder, “Researchers discover Arctic phytoplankton that synthesizes hydrocarbons equivalent to petroleum,” The Barents Observer)


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The 'Right' Electoral Tilt, Upswing in Venezuela-India relations, and Argentina's Energy Rise
August 2026 | CWA # 2231

Dhivya KM

China's economy at mid-2026:
Six Takeaways of the World Bank China Economic Update
August 2026 | CWA # 2225

Acsah H

China moves from near-total reliance on foreign jets to domestic dominance. How did it happen? And what does it mean?
August 2026 | CWA # 2224

Global Politics Team

Zelenskyy's US visit
Newsmakers of the week
August 2026 | CWA # 2222

Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar

Peru's new President Netanyahu's Washington visit
US Senate bill against Russia | Ukraine and Patriot missiles | China's PLA 99th anniversary
July 2026 | CWA # 2217

Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani, Urja R Kudalkar

The Berlin Pride attack
Zelensky's US Visit I Japan's Earthquake
July 2026 | CWA # 2216

Manikranth Chakravarthula

The Houthis:
Origins, Ethnic makeup, Political structure, Geographical footprint and External support
July 2026 | CWA # 2213

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran War, Week 22:
End of pause, Return of hostilities and Expanding conflict geography
July 2026 | CWA # 2211

Priyanka Makhijani

AI's Rogue Agent Breach:
Recurring Patterns, Gaps in the AI safety rules and the AI rivalry
July 2026 | CWA # 2210

Adwaith Sankar

ASEAN Regional Forum:
Six Takeaways on Issues, Limitations and Opportunities
July 2026 | CWA # 2206

Akshath Kaimal

The resurgence of Somali piracy:
Sophisticated tactics, Regional instability and an Ineffective international response
July 2026 | CWA # 2203

Brighty Ann Sarah

US-Iran War, Week 21:
Resumption of attacks and the Strait of Hormuz impasse
July 2026 | CWA # 2199

Preetha Renganarayanan

The SDG Annual Report 2026:
Six takeaways on a decade of SDG monitoring, global progress, and key challenges
July 2026 | CWA # 2197

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella

The US-Iran War, Week 20:
Renewed Strikes, Collapsed MoU and the Blockade of the Strait
July 2026 | CWA # 2196

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal (Apr-Jun 2026):
New Government, Political Stability and Economic Recovery
June 2026 | CWA # 2193

Aparna A Nair

75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, CPEC expansion and Middle East mediation
July 2026 | CWA # 2186

Lekshmi MK

NATO Summit 2026:
Four takeaways on Alliance unity, Defence commitments, and Support for Ukraine
July 2026 | CWA # 2182

Anu Maria Joseph

Africa This Week
JNIM-FLA coordinated attacks in Mali and the RSF siege in Sudan
July 2026 | CWA # 2181

Padmashree Anandhan

The War in Ukraine:
Deep strikes, NATO diplomacy and the Expanding air warfare
July 2026 | CWA # 2180

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella

Iran after Ali Khamenei
Institutional resilience, Anti-American sentiment and an Unresolved conflict
July 2026 | CWA # 2172

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran negotiations:
Tenuous Ceasefire, Renewed Threats and the Contest over the Strait of Hormuz 
June 2026 | CWA # 2169

Anwesha Ghosh

Afghanistan (Apr-Jun 2026):
Growing External Engagement, Enduring Internal Constraints
June 2026 | CWA # 2168

Adarsh Vijay

High-Level Visits, Sideline Diplomacy and Upgrading Ties
June 2026 | CWA # 2166

Ramya B

Russia (April-June 2026)
Unsuccessful Offensive, Drone Attacks and Economic Challenges
June 2026 | CWA # 2165

Himani Pant

Europe (April-June 2026)
End of the Orban Era, Political Fragmentation, Tightening of Migration Rules and Continuing Economic Slowdown
June 2026 | CWA # 2160

Radhika M Agarwal

The War in Ukraine:
Ukraine's Crimea Campaign, The Belarus Standoff, and Russia's Aerial Bombardment
June 2026 | CWA # 2159

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella

The US-Iran MoU
Renewed strikes, Persistent disagreements, and a Fragile Agreement
June 2026 | CWA # 2157

Global Politics Team

The G7 Summit 2026
President Xi Jinping’s North Korea visit I Myanmar President’s China visit
June 2026 | CWA # 2154

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella

The G7 Summit 2026
Four Takeaways on Economic security, Critical minerals, and Consensus on Ukraine and Iran
June 2026 | CWA # 2153

Global Politics Team

The US-Iran MoU
The War in Ukraine I Anti-immigrant violence in South Africa I Ultra Orthodox Jews' protests in Israel
June 2026 | CWA # 2150

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella

The War in Ukraine:
Massive drone attacks, Europe's support for Ukraine, and a Distant ceasefire
June 2026 | CWA # 2149

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran MoU:
Asymmetric Gains and Implementation Challenges
June 2026 | CWA # 2145

Glynnis Winona B

Myanmar and Press Freedom:
Four Takeaways on Legal repression, Institutional collapse, Violence, and Digital control 
June 2026 | CWA # 2144

Nithin V

Bangladesh and Press Freedom:
Four Takeaways on Digital security laws, Political polarisation, Journalist safety, and Media vulnerability 
June 2026 | CWA # 2143

Aishal Hab Yousuf 

Sri Lanka and Press Freedom:
Five Takeaways on Political influence, Legal mechanisms to control, Ethnic sensitivities and History of State intimidation
June 2026 | CWA # 2142

Glynnis Winona B

Bhutan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on Regulatory control, Economic fragility, and Social constraints
June 2026 | CWA # 2141

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Maldives and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on the influence of democracy, legislation, and state funding
June 2026 | CWA # 2140

Nithin V

Pakistan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways Military influence, cyber laws, political instability, and youth-driven digital journalism
June 2026 | CWA # 2139

Siddhi Halyur

Afghanistan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on political control, religious restrictions and economic vulnerabilities 
June 2026 | CWA # 2138

Siddhi Halyur

Nepal and Press Freedom:
Three takeaways on Political constraints, Missing legal protection and Funding issues
June 2026 | CWA # 2136

Acsah H

The Blue Origin Rocket Explosion:
Does this leave Jeff Bezos grounded, Elon Musk unchallenged, and NASA’s lunar timeline in jeopardy?
June 2026 | CWA # 2131

Rohini Reenum

Israel-Lebanon Tensions:
New Deal amidst Israeli incursion and Hezbollah’s retaliation
June 2026 | CWA # 2130

Akshath Kaimal

The UK-Rwanda Asylum Deal: 
Why did the Permanent Court of Arbitration reject Rwanda’s claims? What was Rwanda’s complaint? Why did the UK cancel the deal?
June 2026 | CWA # 2129

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa This Week:
The Ebola fear in DR Congo and the Elections in Ethiopia amidst conflicts
May 2026 | CWA # 2126

Aparna A Nair

The Shenzhou-23 Mission:
China's Space Missions, Technology, and Infrastructure
May 2026 | CWA # 2124

Glynnis Winona B

The Crisis in Cuba:
The US Sanctions, Energy Crisis, and Economic Instability
May 2026 | CWA # 2123

Akshath Kaimal

The Ebola and the DR Congo:
Multiple Outbreaks, Fragile Healthcare System, and Ineffective Global Responses
May 2026 | CWA # 2122

Radhika M Agarwal

The War in Ukraine:
Ballistic missiles, Nuclear drills with Belarus, and the Czech ammunition initiative
May 2026 | CWA # 2120

Brighty Ann Sarah

Conflicts in the Middle East
The US-Iran War Week Thirteen: Escalating Hostilities, Tenuous Ceasefire and Tense Negotiations
May 2026 | CWA # 2119

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa
The Ebola spread in DR Congo, The Faye-Sonko split in Senegal, and the Deepening US military involvement in Nigeria
May 2026 | CWA # 2115

Aparna A Nair

The Putin-Xi Summit
Trade, Technology, Security, and Pipeline
May 2026 | CWA # 2114

Glynnis Winona B

What makes the UAE a global player?
Explaining the Governance, Economy, People, and Strategic Influence of a Small Middle Eastern State
May 2026 | CWA # 2113

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Sri Lanka and the US-Iran War:
Rising oil imports, Austerity measures and State capacity
May 2026 | CWA # 2111

NIAS Global Politics Team

The Trump-Xi Summit
The Africa Forward Summit 2026 I North Korea's Constitutional Amendment 2026
May 2026 | CWA # 2110

Aishal Hab Yousuf

The Trump-Xi Summit:
Managing Strategic Competition through Trade, Technology, and Diplomacy
May 2026 | CWA # 2092

NIAS Global Politics Team

The US-Iran War, Week Ten
CW Column on Middle East: Escalating Israeli Aggression in Lebanon I UAE's Covert Manoeuvres
May 2026 | CWA # 2090

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran War, Week Ten:
Fraying Ceasefire, Renewed Negotiations and the Risk of a Stalemate
May 2026 | CWA # 2089

Global Politics Team

King Charles's US Visit
May 2026 | CWA # 2088

Nithin V

Emphasis on strong bilateral relations, democratic values and security cooperation
May 2026 | CWA # 2087

Siddhi Halyur

Exploring Strategic Sectors of Cooperation
May 2026 | CWA # 2086

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Implications for the Middle East and the Energy Market
May 2026 | CWA # 2085

Glynnis Winona B

Growing US-Europe differences and Challenges for Berlin
May 2026 | CWA # 2083

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran War, Week Nine:
Deadlocked Negotiations, Competing Agendas and Domestic Pressure
May 2026 | CWA # 2082

Akshath Kaimal

Escalating Violence in Mali:
Between Ethnic Insurgencies, Jihadist Attacks, and Military Coups
April 2026 | CWA # 2080

Global Politics Team

Four Takeaways of the WFP's report on the fallouts of the Middle East crisis
April 2026 | CWA # 2079

Aishal Hab Yousuf

From Post-War Pacifism to Strategic Recalibration and Autonomy
April 2026 | CWA # 2074

Brighty Ann Sarah

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire:
Asymmetric Terms, Fragile Truce and Israeli Occupation
April 2026 | CWA # 2073

Akshath Kaimal

The US-Iran War, Week Eight:
A Fragile Ceasefire, Attempts to Control Hormuz and the Stalled Talks in Islamabad
April 2026 | CWA # 2072

Anu Maria Joseph

Three Years of War in Sudan
Prolonged Stalemate, Humanitarian Cost, External Interventions and Regional Fallouts
April 2026 | CWA # 2070

NIAS Global Politics Team

The US-Iran War I Conflicts in Africa I The War in Ukraine I China-Japan Tensions I Pakistan-Afghanistan Clashes
April 2026 | CWA # 2069

Padmashree Anandhan

The War in Ukraine
Expanding Drone Warfare, Russia's Strategic Patience and Ukraine's Diplomatic Outreach
April 2026 | CWA # 2068

Femy Francis 

China-Japan Tensions
Escalating Defence Posturing and Economic Decoupling
April 2026 | CWA # 2067

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa
Continuing Conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo, Security issues in Nigeria, and Political Instability in Madagascar
April 2026 | CWA # 2065

Lakshmi Venugopal Menon

The US-Iran War, Israel-Hamas Conflict and their interconnected fallouts
April 2026 | CWA # 2064

Anwesha Ghosh

Gender Repression, Leadership Rifts, Regional Realignments and Clashes with Pakistan
April 2026 | CWA # 2063

Ramya B

Russia (Jan-Mar 2026)
Assertive Military Posture, Attempts for an Economic Turnaround and Search for Partners
April 2026 | CWA # 2062

Himani Pant

Europe (Jan-Mar 2026)
Trade diversification & FTAs, Increased defence spending, Tightening irregular migration and Economic slowdown
April 2026 | CWA # 2061

S Shaji

Africa (Jan-Mar 2026)
Elections, Civil Wars, Militancy and Peace Initiatives
April 2026 | CWA # 2059

Adarsh Vijay

April 2026 | CWA # 2058

Nishchal N Pandey  & Mahesh Raj Bhatta

Nepal (Jan-Mar 2026)
Political Upheaval, Generational Change and Economic Uncertainty
April 2026 | CWA # 2057

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar (Jan-Mar 2026)
An Illegitimate Regime's Consolidation Game
April 2026 | CWA # 2056

Ashik J Bonofer

Southeast Asia (Jan-Mar 2026)
Deteriorating situation in Myanmar, Philippines as the ASEAN Chair, New government in Thailand, and Economic & Environmental challenges
April 2026 | CWA # 2054

Amrita Jash

Regional assertion, Pragmatic recalibration with the West and Avoiding military entanglement in the Middle East
April 2026 | CWA # 2053

Anand V

The "Two Sessions," Recalibrated growth targets, Technology prioritization, and Military purges
April 2026 | CWA # 2052

Shreya Upadhyay

April 2026 | CWA # 2050

IPRI Team

March 2026 | CWA # 2042

Preetha Renganarayanan

Five Takeaways of the US Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) Report for 2026
March 2026 | CWA # 2039

Femy Francis

Trump-Xi Meeting
Why did Trump reschedule it? What does that mean?
March 2026 | CWA # 2035

Akshath Kaimal

Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict
Broken ceasefire, Expanding military strikes and Worsening humanitarian situation
March 2026 | CWA # 2033

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal after elections:
Five major challenges for the new government
March 2026 | CWA # 2023

Femy Francis

New Five-Year Plan, Ethnic Unity Law, and an Enhanced Defence Budget
March 2026 | CWA # 2019

Akshath Kaimal

Rising Violence in Nigeria
Limited State Capacity, Multiple Actors, and a Complex Security Environment
March 2026 | CWA # 2017

Global Politics Team

March 2026 | CWA # 2011

Tanvi Thara Harendra Jha

Resetting Economic, Strategic and Cultural Ties
March 2026 | CWA # 2009

Sreemaya Nair

Nepal Elections 2026
Rise of a new leadership and Reset in political landscape
March 2026 | CWA # 2004

Akshath Kaimal

Instability returns, with a fragile peace agreement, uptick in violence and limited international engagement
March 2026 | CWA # 2003

Yesasvi Koganti

From bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership
March 2026 | CWA # 2002

Femy Francis

Reducing trade deficit and recalibrating economic cooperation with Beijing
March 2026 | CWA # 2001

Preetha Renganarayanan

Six major takeaways on the economy, border and internal security and Iran
February 2026 | CWA # 1998

Anu Maria Joseph

Instability in Sudan
Response to the genocide call and the threats of a regional spillover
March 2026 | CWA # 1991

Global Politics Team

February 2026 | CWA # 1986

Preetha Renganarayanan

Focus on Trade, Defense, Energy and Regional Connectivity
February 2026 | CWA # 1985

Abhimanyu Solanki

Basant in Pakistan
The return of Basant, and what it signifies
February 2026 | CWA # 1977

Anu Maria Joseph

Violence in Nigeria
US military deployment amidst worsening insurgency
February 2026 | CWA # 1976

Lekshmi MK

The War in Ukraine
The Geneva Talks and Growing Negotiation Asymmetry
December 2025 | CWA # 1971

Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi

Pakistan Budget 2025-26
Legislating stabilisation under IMF discipline and coalition constraints
December 2025 | CWA # 1970

Aparna A Nair

Pakistan & China
Ten Years of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
November 2025 | CWA # 1968

Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi

Pakistan and the US
A New opening, or another cycle?
November 2025 | CWA # 1967

R Preetha

Risks, Reforms and Trajectories
November 2025 | CWA # 1966

Lekshmi MK

Five Questions on Challenges, Capacity and Policies
February 2026 | CWA # 1962

Global Politics Team

Regional Roundups: From East Asia to the Americas
February 2026 | CWA # 1961

Lekshmi MK

What does it mean for domestic politics and regional stability?
February 2026 | CWA # 1955

Global Politics Team

Regional Roundups: From East Asia to the Americas
January 2026 | CWA # 1947

Brighty Ann Sarah

January 2026 | CWA # 1946

Preetha Renganarayanan

The Davos Summit 2026
Five Major Takeaways from The World Economic Forum
January 2026 | CWA # 1945

Global Politics Team

January 2026 | CWA # 1943

Anu Maria Joseph

January 2026 | CWA # 1942

Lekshmi MK

January 2026 | CWA # 1941

Brighty Ann Sarah

January 2026 | CWA # 1940

IPRI Team

January 2026 | CWA # 1939

Lekshmi MK

January 2026 | CWA # 1937

Anu Maria Joseph

December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1930

Aparna A Nair

December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1914

Preetha Renganarayanan

December 2025 | CWA # 1913

Rohini Reenum

December 2025 | CWA # 1912

Lekshmi MK

December 2025 | CWA # 1911

Swati Sood

December 2025 | CWA # 1905

Femy Francis

December 2025 | CWA # 1902

Brighty Ann Sarah

December 2025 | CWA # 1893

Lekshmi MK

December 2025 | CWA # 1889

Femy Francis

December 2025 | CWA # 1881

Sunidhi Sampige

December 2025 | CWA # 1864

Femy Francis

Ten Takeaways of a SCMP Interview with a former PLA Colonel
December 2025 | CWA # 1861

Femy Francis

China Reader
November 2025 | CWA # 1859

Brighty Ann Sarah

November 2025 | CWA # 1858

Padmashree Anandhan

August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the Civil Rights Movement in the US
August 2025 | CWA # 1790

GP Team

The World This Week#323-324
The Trump-Putin meeting & the US-China tariff extension
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
Weaponization of access to the US economy
August 2025 | CWA # 1779

GP Team

The World This Week#322
US tariffs on India, Brazil and Canada & the EU-US trade deal
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, starting the First World War
July 2025 | CWA # 1770

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations:
Why the focus on terrorism, refugees, and Uzbekistan as the third partner?
July 2025 | CWA # 1769

GP Team

The World This Week#321
Indian PM Modi's visit to the Maldives I Elections to the Upper House in Japan
July 2025 | CWA # 1762

Lekshmi MK

Ocean Darkening: 
What is the phenomenon? What are its effects? And who are more vulnerable?
July 2025 | CWA # 1749

R Preetha

Africa as the Hunger Epicenter
Of the 13 Global Hunger Hotspots, 8 are in Africa: Five reasons why
July 2025 | CWA # 1748

GP Team

The World This Week #318
PM Modi’s Visit to Trinidad and Tobago & Ghana, One big beautiful bill, and Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting
July 2025 | CWA # 1744

Chittrothu Vaihali

EU-Canada Summit 2025
What is security and defence partnership all about?
July 2025 | CWA # 1742

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly # 287-88
The 12 Day War and the Congo-Rwanda Peace Deal
July 2025 | CWA # 1738

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Thailand and Cambodia
What was the phone call between PM Shinawatra and President of Senate Hun Sen? What is the border dispute between the two? Why has this become an issue?
June 2025 | CWA # 1735

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025:
Trump making Europe great again
June 2025 | CWA # 1734

GP Team

The World This Week #317
NATO Summit 2025 and Russia-Mali bilateral agreements
June 2025 | CWA # 1733

Ananya Dinesh

China and the Pacific Islands 
What was the recent China-PIC joint statement about? What it says, and what it means?
June 2025 | CWA # 1728

M Kejia

G7 Summit 2025:
The Focus on the Middle East and Trade negotiations
June 2025 | CWA # 1726

GP Team

The World This Week #316
China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan, and the G7 Summit in Canada
June 2025 | CWA # 1725

Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia

Operation Midnight Hammer: US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran
What were the three Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted? What are the B2 Bombers and Bunker Buster Bombs? What do these attacks mean? What Next?
June 2025 | CWA # 1724

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #286
The Spiralling Israel-Iran Crisis, and the Dangerous Hunger Hotspots
June 2025 | CWA # 1721

Rizwana Banu S and Santhiya M

Who are the Afrikaners?
Why is Trump interested in the Afrikaner question in South Africa?
June 2025 | CWA # 1720

Lekshmi MK

New WMO Report on Arctic Warming
What are the social, economic and environmental implications of Arctic warming
June 2025 | CWA # 1719

J Yamini  

China’s EV Surge
What contributes to the rise of BYD
June 2025 | CWA # 1717

J Yamini

Gender Violence in Pakistan:
What are the larger issues in the Noor Mukadam case?
June 2025 | CWA # 1715

Femy Francis

The US-China:
On Tariffs, Rare Earths and Visas
June 2025 | CWA # 1713

GP Team

The World This Week #315
The UN Ocean Conference in France and the US-China Meeting in London
June 2025 | CWA # 1712

R Preetha

June 2025 | CWA # 1705

GP Team

The World This Week #314
Elections in South Korea and Poland I China and the Pacific Island Countries I Bangladesh Election Announcement 2026
June 2025 | CWA # 1703

M Kejia 

Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal
Kathmandu’s Global Agenda for the Himalayas
June 2025 | CWA # 1700

R Preetha

Ethiopia bans the TPLF
What does the TPLF ban mean for the Pretoria agreement? What next for Ethiopia?
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
Harvard vs Trump Administration
June 2025 | CWA # 1691

GP Team

The World This Week #313
China-ASEAN-GCC Summit I President Macron's visit to South East Asia I Trump Vs Harvard
May 2025 | CWA # 1690

GP Team

The World This Week #312
Elections in Romania, Portugal & Poland I UK-EU Summit
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
Continuing Russia’s Aerial Attacks, despite exchange of prisoners
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
The Humanitarian Crisis and Israel’s Renewed Offensive
May 2025 | CWA # 1685

Aparna A Nair

UK-EU Summit:
First step towards a reset
May 2025 | CWA # 1683

Aashish Ganeshan

Elections in Portugal:
The Rise of Chega Party and the Search for Political Stability
May 2025 | CWA # 1679

Aashish Ganeshan

US in the Middle Easr
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
May 2025 | CWA # 1678

Gauri Gupta

China in Latin America
China-CELAC forum: Strengthening ties with Latin America and Caribbean
May 2025 | CWA # 1677

GP Team

The World This Week #310-311
China in Latin America and the Carribbean I Trump's Middle East Visit I Denmark as the new Arctic Chair
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
PKK disbands after 40 years of armed insurgency
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
The Discussion in Turkiye and the Elusive Ceasefire
May 2025 | CWA # 1671

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

US, Ukraine and Russia:
Air attacks amidst a Minerals deal and Ceasefire Proposals
May 2025 | CWA # 1670

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Singapore Elections in 2025:
People’s Action Party (PAP) Wins, Again
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
Tough Tariff Negotiations with the US
May 2025 | CWA # 1666

Padmashree Anandhan

The US-Ukraine
The mineral deal with the US
May 2025 | CWA # 1665
Conflict Weekly # 280-81
India-Pakistan De-escalation I Ukraine Discussion in Istanbul I The Battle over Port Sudan I Disbanding of PKK in Turkiye I France-Algeria Diplomatic Tensions
May 2025 | CWA # 1663

R Preetha

Canada Elections 2025:
What do the results convey? What next for Mark Carney?
October 2024 | CWA # 1480

IPRI Team

July 2024 | CWA # 1413

Ramya B

May 2024 | CWA # 1336

Femy Francis

April 2024 | CWA # 1275

Ramya B

March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
March 2024 | CWA # 1246

Sivasubramanian K

February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
November 2023 | CWA # 1148

GP Team

October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
October 2023 | CWA # 1087

PR Team

October 2023 | CWA # 1083

GP Team

August 2023 | CWA # 1049

IPRI Team

July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
July 2023 | CWA # 1009

GP Team

December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
December 2022 | CWA # 872

Sapna Elsa Abraham

November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
September 2020 | CWA # 337

Anju Annie Mammen

February 2020 | CWA # 235

Lakshmi V Menon

September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon

The Maldives
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan

India
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej

Bangladesh
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

Afghanistan
July 2018 | CWA # 47

Rahul Arockiaraj

June 2018 | CWA # 26

Siddhatti Mehta