Photo Source: Chipsomadevilla-AP-WashingtonPost
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
For any further information or to subscribe to GP alerts send an email to subachandran@nias.res.in
The World This Week
20 years after 9/11, Paris terror trial, and a new government in Lebanon
![]() |
GP Team
|
The World This Week #136, Vol. 3, No. 37
D Suba Chandran, Sourina Bej, and Rashmi BR
US: 20 years after 9/11
What happened?
On 11 September 2021, the US remembered the terrorist attacks that took place twenty years ago on the same day. President Biden and two former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama took part in the ceremony at ground zero in New York, where more than 2700 people lost their lives when those two planes plunged into the twin towers. As had been the case since 2001, the family members of those who had lost their lives in those attacks, came to the venue, read the names and remembered them. President Obama said: “9/11 reminded us how so many Americans give of themselves in extraordinary ways - not just in moments of great crisis, but every single day...Let’s never forget that, and let’s never take them for granted.”
Similar events were held in Shanksville in Pennsylvania, where the United Airlines flight 93 crashed, after the plans of the hijackers’ failed. Former President George Bush took part in the remembrance meeting; President Biden also was there, after being at ground zero in New York. George Bush in his remarks, warned of the “violence that gathers from within” and said: “There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home…But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols - they are children of the same foul spirit, and it is our continuing duty to confront them.”
Elsewhere in the US, at the Pentagon ceremony, where 184 were killed on the same day in 2001, Gen Mark Milley said: “The people we lost that day are not just names and numbers…We remember them today for not only who they were, but who they could have become.”
0n 10 September, President Biden, in a video message, remarked: “To me, that’s the central lesson of Sept. 11th, is that at our most vulnerable - the push and pull of all that makes us human, and the battle for the soul of America - unity is our greatest strength…We find light in the darkness. We find purpose to repair, renew and rebuild. And as my friend told me that September, 20 years ago: We must not be afraid.” He tweeted: “20 years after September 11, 2001, we commemorate the 2,977 lives we lost and honour those who risked and gave their lives. As we saw in the days that followed, unity is our greatest strength. It’s what makes us who we are - and we can’t forget that.”
What is the background?
First, remembering 9/11. Ever since 2001, the Americans have come together on 11 September on the three main locations – Pentagon, Manhattan and Shanksville to remember the lives lost to the terrorist attack perpetrated by al Qaeda. As President Biden remarked in his video message, they would commemorate those whose lives were lost. Biden said: “To the families of the 2,977 people, from more than 90 nations…America and the world commemorate you and your loved ones, the pieces of your soul…We honor all those who are risked and gave their lives in the minutes, hours, months and years afterwards.”
Second, the global position of the US as a superpower, since 2001. When al Qaeda terrorists attacked the US in 2001, the US was leading a unipolar world. Russia was weak, and China was yet to emerge. Europe was an American ally. Outside the 9/11 attack, that should have been one of the significant moments for the US as a sole superpower in the post-World War II period. In the next twenty years, that moment would slowly. In 2021, as the US commemorate twenty years of 9/11, its global position as a superpower is questioned by the rise of China, resurgent Russia and a troubled relationship with its trans-Atlantic partner – Europe. Afghanistan and Iran, where the US invested substantially in the last two decades are seen as failures.
Third, the US legacy of the War on Terrorism. After 9/11, the US declared a war on terrorism. As Bush said, one is with the US, or against it. From the United Nations to Russia, many went along with the US. Al Qaeda was the primary target then; later, Iraq became the second major target. Today, twenty years later, after the killing of Saddam Hussain and Osama bin Laden, has the US emerged successful? Al Qaeda network has been neutralised; some would argue, it has got dispersed more in the last two decades and have found its place in Africa and Southeast Asia. The last two decades also witnessed the rise of ISIS, another global terror network, deadlier than al Qaeda. While the US mainland has been saved from any further terrorist attacks, there were a series of high profile terror attacks in Europe. Madrid train bombings in 2004, London bombings in 2007, Paris attacks in 2015 and Brussels attacks in 2016 were a few high profile attacks in Europe.
Fourth, the divide within the US, during the last two decades. Former President Bush’s remarks on 11 September 2021, regarding the violence that is gathering “from within” and the “cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home” should underline the decline within. The Trump years, the attack on US Capitol Hill on 6 January 2021, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Texas legislation banning abortion are a few examples of the challenges that the US poses across the spectrum from within covering extremism, racism and gender.
What does it mean?
The challenge for Biden is substantial, as he leads the US into the third decade after 9/11. There are serious fault lines within, besides the above social ones. Post-pandemic economic recovery, industrial resurgence, and infrastructural investments are a few areas, where the US would have to look inwards if it has to play a larger global role. An internally divided and economically weak US would pull Washington down to act as a global player. Externally, the rise of China would pose a challenge; however, it is not insurmountable. The challenge would be to build a coalition with its trans-Atlantic partners and build new ones across the Indo-Pacific.
Biden could either remake the US and ensure that it plays its global role, or break it further, and lead to its further decline. The 2020s should be the most crucial decade for the US, since the end of the Second World War.
France: Trial begins for the 2015 terrorist attack
What happened?
On 9 September, the trial began against those accused in the 2015 terrorist attacks that had left 130 people dead and 350 injured in central Paris and Saint-Denis. The court is going to weigh on the pleas of the 20 accused, including Salah Abdeslam, the mastermind behind the attack. While 14 of the accused face trials in person, six more are being tried in absentia.
What is the background?
First, six years since the terror attack. In 2015 attackers killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more in coordinated shootings and suicide bombings at the Bataclan concert hall, a sports stadium, and bars and restaurants across the French capital. In the six years prior to the trial, France has witnessed more such terror attacks which have marked a shift in the collective consciousness of the society. The Nice truck attack of 2016 was equally lethal with 86 killed. The January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks to the beheading of Samuel Paty in 2020, these attacks have only reminded France that anyone and anybody could come under a terror attack.
Second, trial as a symbolic gesture of collective memorialisation and healing. Symbolically the trial is the moment where facts could be examined, the ferocity of the act is acknowledged and the victims get justice if not compensation for the loss. One of the primary virtues of a trial is to situate the facts in order to understand exactly what happened. The trial comes in the backdrop of similar hearings of those accused in the Charlie Hebdo terror attack and the Christchurch attack in New Zealand. It is an important step towards the beginning of memorialization of the event at the individual as well as at the societal level. In this the role of the Judiciary as an institution to identify and open pathways for healings is significant.
Third, the profile of the accused or the attackers. The attacks in 2015 were planned in Syria and carried out by Europeans who had joined ISIS and were able to travel back and forth undetected with the flow of migrants. The attackers were mostly French and Belgian citizens, born in Europe to immigrants from North Africa. Similar has been the ethnic background (that is second to third-generation immigrants) of the attackers who killed Samuel Paty, bombed the office of Charlie Hebo, or wielded the knife in Nice.
Fourth, France’s own war on terror at home. In the past year, the state institutions have not only responded heavily in cracking down the financial routes of the small franchisee-terrorist groups but have also passed new anti-terrorism legislation that gives police extended powers to search homes and make house arrests without prior judicial approval. Religious sites deemed radical can now be closed down. And a social questioning or puritan screening has begun on who is a French in France? The French model of identity is steeped in civic nationalism over recognizing the diverse ethnolinguistic identity thereby making the minorities invisible in the French society.
What does it mean?
The trial will add to the existing social caveats of divisions within the migrant groups. The intra and inter-group cohesion in French society have never been simplistic. And the trial puts a check on what it means to practice violent radical attacks but how much will it facilitate a social dialogue on why Islamic extremism could become a trend in France is still in doubt. On the other side of the spectrum where lensing and seeing the act of one Muslim man as the burden of a whole ethnoreligious community is also painfully problematic and marks the beginning of a social perception bordering on social exclusion.
Lebanon: a new government after 13 months
What happened?
On 10 September, Lebanon’s presidency announced the formation of a new government under the leadership of Najib Mikati, a former Prime Minister who has previously held the position twice. PM Mikati and President Michael Aoun signed a government decree regarding the formation, in the presence of Speaker Nabih Berri. The announcement ended a 13-month stalemate and a complex political crisis.
Addressing the press, Mikati stated that “the situation is very difficult. But it is not impossible if we unite as Lebanese. We have to put our hands together…work together, united with hope and determination.” Welcoming the announcement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the new government to “implement a tangible reform agenda” in accordance with the aspirations of the people. France, an important stakeholder in Lebanon, welcomed the new government, and President Emmanuel Macron said that it is “vita that Lebanon’s politicians stuck to engagements necessary to undertake key reforms.”
What is the background?
First, the political crisis. The massive blast at the Beirut port opened the floodgates of an impending political crisis in Lebanon. On 4 August 2020, Beirut witnessed a major blast at the port, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands. The incident triggered massive protests on the streets demanding action and justice. Owning responsibility, PM Hassan Diab resigned. With his resignation, the politicians failed to arrive at a consensus and put forth a stable political solution. Former PM Saad Hariri too, failed to form the government, stating differences with President Aoun. Najib Mikati’s appointment as the PM-designate came in the backdrop of Hariri’s resignation. The new government brings an end to the 13-month deadlock.
Second, the international pressure. France, the former colonizer, took a special interest in the political crisis of Lebanon and exerted immense pressure on the political elite to form a government. The US too joined the exercise. The overwhelming international and regional pressure to find a solution to the crisis is said to be one of the key reasons for the recent development. It must be noted that the presence of legitimate authority is extremely crucial for negotiating with the IMF and preventing Lebanon from a free fall.
Third, the crippling economic crisis. Lebanon is reeling under a severe economic crisis. Chaotic economic policies, extensive deficit expenditure, and mismanaged monetary policies have proved disastrous. The Lebanon Economic Monitor released by the World Bank in May 2021, concluded that the country’s economic situation may be one of the worst crises in over 150 years.
Fourth, social fallouts of the crisis. With the virtual absence of a functioning government for more than a year, the Lebanese society is suffering from the health system breakdown and pandemic, long hours of blackout, fuel shortages, unaffordable inflation and consequential poverty. According to the UN, three-quarters of the population lives in poverty.
What does it mean?
First, a fresh start. Barring the two Christian parties, Mikati has the support of almost all the political outfits including Sunni, Shia and Druze parties. The newly formed cabinet is a fresh beginning, with some new faces, technocrats and specialists, nevertheless endorsed by various political parties. Though there is scepticism about what the cabinet is capable of doing, the fact that there is a full-working government is hope in the right direction. Marking this, the markets displayed optimism and Lebanese currency saw an increase in its value.
Second, a bumpy road. Mikati and his cabinet take over amidst a crippling crisis and have the daunting task of bringing Lebanon on the path to recovery. However, it is not an easy task, as gaining confidence both in the Parliament as well as among the public is important. Implementing recovery plans together with the Lebanese political class and international actors like France and organizations such as WTO, IMF, requires multiple rounds of negotiation and confidence-building measures.
Also, in the news …
By Sukanya Bali, Avishka Ashok and Juan Mary Joseph
East and Southeast Asia This Week
China: Top universities told to step up communist ideological education
On 7 September, inspectors, sent by the Communist Party’s Central Committee, told Chinese education officials and elite universities to step up ideological education and enforce party discipline on campus. The orders came in the “feedback sessions” after a wave of inspections at some of the country’s top schools. The meetings included senior officials from the Ministry of Education and top managers from 31 universities directly under the committee’s supervision and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s top anti-graft agency. The inspectors mentioned that there were several “common and deep-seated political problems” in the schools, including slacking off in their ideological work. According to state media reports, 15 teams of inspectors were assigned from May to check on party units at the ministry and the universities. Among the institutions investigated are Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing, and Fudan, Jiao Tong and Tongji universities in Shanghai.
Taiwan: Warns Honduras against Chinese ‘ploys’
On 6 September, Taiwan warned Honduras against falling for “flashy and false” promises, in the form of vaccine diplomacy by China after the latter’s presidential candidate Xiomara Castro said that she would “immediately open diplomatic and commercial relations with mainland China” if she were to win the elections in November. Castro, the wife of ousted former president Manuel Zelaya, is the candidate for the main left-wing opposition Liberty and Refoundation Party. Honduras is one among the only 15 countries that maintain formal relations with Taiwan. Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister Alexander Yui said in an interview with Honduran media last month that many promises from Beijing were unfulfilled and had left some countries in severe “debt traps”. Honduras and Taiwan have maintained 80 years of bilateral ties even as China has already snubbed seven of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, including 3 from Latin America - Panama, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Latin America has been a key diplomatic battleground between the two sides for decades since they split in 1949.
China: Announces first public state oil auction to stabilise prices
On 10 September, China’s reserves administration announced in a statement that the country is planning its first public auction of state crude oil reserves to a select group of domestic refiners. The move comes in the backdrop of China looking to minimize the high raw material costs for manufacturers. The National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration said that the auction is expected to "better stabilise domestic market supply and demand, and effectively guarantee the country's energy security." China's international crude futures are up 50% this year, and up 80% from a year ago.
Hong Kong: Alliance group charged; bail application denied
On 9 September, three chairs of the Hong Kong Alliance were charged with incitement to subvert state power. Members were denied bail. Other standing members were also charged for not providing information as required. In July, the Alliance was charged under the National Security Department for “acting as a foreign agent." The Department has frozen HK USD 2.2 million belonging to the alliance.
Myanmar: Junta auction illegal Timber
On 10 September, The Irrawaddy reported, the military regime will host an auction of 12,500 tons of hardwood, to raise funds for its coup. Prior to this Junta had held three separate auctions in which more than 14,000 tons of timber were sold. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said, “the military regime is seeking an injection of hard currency by selling off thousands of tons of illegal timber to international markets.”
South Asia This Week
Pakistan: Navy conducts military exercise with Germany and the US
On 8 September, the Pakistani Navy conducted a two-day passing exercise in the Arabian Sea with their German and US counterparts. The exercise was held with the aim to strengthen cooperation and advance a common vision to ensure peace and stability in the region. Germany’s inclusion in the exercise marks the 70th anniversary of Pak-German relations.
Pakistan: Defence delegation makes unannounced visit to Myanmar
On 8 September, a recent report talked of an unannounced visit of a high-level delegation from the Pakistani Defence Ministry to Myanmar in the first week of the current month. The delegation and Myanmar military leaders held talks on advanced ordnance technology, aircraft repair and maintenance, and naval munitions. Myanmar has previously purchased JF-17 multi-role combat aircrafts from Pakistan and is currently in “advanced negotiations” to build third-generation models under license. A group of about eight officers from the Myanmar Police Force is also scheduled to visit Karachi between 10 September - 30 September for training in explosives and mine-disposal techniques.
India: UN representative terms Afghanistan situation "fragile" at the UN
On 10 September, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, TS Tirumurti said at the UN Security Council Debate on Afghanistan, the situation in Afghanistan is "very fragile", India also said that it is important that the Taliban adhere to its commitment to not allow the use of the Afghan soil for terrorism, from terror groups designated under the Security Council resolution 1267 such as Pakistan-based outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
India: Foreign and Defence Ministers in dialogue with Australia
On 11 September, India and Australia began the high-level 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial dialogue in New Delhi with External affairs minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh holding closed-door talks with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton. The foreign and defence ministerial talks are taking place to renew efforts by the Quad member countries to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The dialogue is aimed at further ramping up the overall defence and strategic cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific amid China's increasing military assertiveness in the region.
Afghanistan: Taliban Announces caretaker cabinet, UN envoy calls situation “grim”
On 7 September, the Taliban announced a caretaker cabinet after over two weeks of a power vacuum in the country. Mullah Hassan Akhund has been appointed as the head of state (prime minister), with Mullah Baradar and Mawlawi Hannafi as his deputies. The Taliban’s religious leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, issued a statement saying that the new cabinet, committed to protecting human rights, will start its work immediately and that Sharia law will be upheld in the country. On 9 September, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan – the six neighbouring countries of Afghanistan – issued a joint statement, urging the Taliban to form an inclusive government and to not allow Daesh and Al Qaida to gain a "foothold" in Afghanistan. The statement was issued a day after the six countries held a Pakistan-initiated virtual ministerial meeting on Afghanistan--the first since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons described the situation in Afghanistan as "grim" and called for UN engagement to "shape the new reality” to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Central Asia, Middle East and Africa This Week
Azerbaijan: Conducts joint military exercise with Turkey amidst Russian peacekeepers
On 10 September, Turkish and Azerbaijani soldiers concluded joint military exercises in Azerbaijan’s Lachin region, close to a region operated by close to 2000 Russian peacekeeping forces. The region, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, is controlled by the Armenian-backed de facto Nagorno-Karabakh government. The exercise, which appeared to have been of a small-scale, comes amidst heightened tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia. Azerbaijan’s relations with Russia had recently hit a rocky patch with the former airing increasing public criticisms of the latter over the post-war order. The military move also marked the first time that Turkish troops have been openly deployed in the territories that Azerbaijan retook from Armenia during last year’s war.
Kyrgyzstan: Russia-Led CSTO Starts Military Drills
On 7 September, the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) started Rubezh (Frontier) 2021 manoeuvre, a three-day military exercise, in Kyrgyzstan’s Edelveis training field. The exercise, which comes in response to the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, is focused on blocking and neutralizing illegal armed groups that unlawfully enter a CSTO member state's territory. Tajik troops who were also scheduled to take part in the exercise withdrew at the last moment for unspecified reasons. Other members of the CSTO are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. Russia, which has military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, has vowed to defend their allies in Central Asia against any security threat from Afghanistan.
Israel: Military chief says ‘accelerating’ Iran strike plans
On 7 September, Israel’s Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi said in an interview that military plans to deal with Iran’s nuclear programme have “greatly accelerated” and are being intensified. The statement comes as questions arise on the ability to revive a landmark accord that will limit Tehran’s weapons development to continue to grow. He also said efforts were underway to check for Iran’s allies in the Middle East and thereby engage in “minimising Iranian presence in the Middle East with an emphasis on Syria.”
Yemen: UNHRC publishes report on the war and condemns violations from previous findings
On 8 September, a new report by the United Nations Human Rights Council reviewed the war in Yemen over the last year, with the panel condemning the same violations from their previous findings. These include airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition that supports the Yemeni Government, and shelling of civilians, “particularly by the Houthis, the Government of Yemen, the Southern Transitional Council and the Coalition”. The report stressed that all parties in the conflict were responsible for violations, many of which may be international crimes. Kamel Jendoubi, the Chairperson of the Group of Eminent Experts said that “The climate of fear, lawlessness and impunity for all those living in Yemen has worsened further despite political agreements and high-level discussions between key actors.”
Syria: Military groups operating under Turkey-backed SNA merge
On 10 September, five military groups operating under the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in northern Syria united as the Syrian Liberation Front at a ceremony held in the al-Bab district. The five divisions announced that they would operate with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in areas prone to terrorism. The Syrian Liberation Front will have around 20,000 soldiers and will be comprised of the Hamza Division, Mutasim Division and Sultan Suleyman Shah Division as well as the 20th Division and North Falcons Brigade.
Guinea: Suspended from the African Union after the military coup
On 10 September, Guinea was suspended from the African Union, including all the activities and decision-making bodies. The move came after a military junta, led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, accused President Alpha Conde of corruption, and arrested him. The junta has also dissolved the country's constitution, closed the borders and frozen government bank accounts to seize state assets. Guinea has also been suspended from the 15 nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which called for an "immediate return to constitutional order" in the country. An ECOWAS delegation has arrived at the capital to hold talks with the junta. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also condemned the ruling military junta and called for Conde's release. Conde, the country's first democratically elected leader since independence from France in 1958, won a third term in the 2020 presidential election which the opposition had deemed fraudulent. The political unrest in the country has led to a sharp rise in the prices of aluminium, the highest recorded price in more than a decade. Guinea is a key global supplier of bauxite, the raw material required to aluminium. Aluminium Corp. of China, the biggest producer of bauxite, which has a project in Guinea, said that all its operations were running normal with ample bauxite inventories at its plants in China.
Libya: Releases political prisoners as part of reconciliation
On 7 September, Mohammad Younes Menfi, the chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, announced the launch of the comprehensive national reconciliation project with the release of political prisoners. The decision, which was based on judicial rulings, will see several political prisoners who have either completed their sentences or who were not convicted of being released. The Council’s spokeswoman Najwa Wahiba, said that Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saadi Gaddafi and Gaddafi’s former cabinet and intelligence chief, Ahmad Ramadan, will also be released. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement that the releases “represent a significant step towards respect for the rule of law and human rights.
Ethiopia: Controversial mega-dam to start producing power next month
On 10 September, Ethiopia said that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a controversial $5 billion mega-dam built over the Blue Nile will start generating electricity in a month, transforming the lives of millions of Ethiopians. Two of the dam’s turbines will initially produce 750 megawatts of electricity, followed by eight times the amount once the project is completed. The project has caused tensions between Ethiopia and its neighbours, Egypt and Sudan, surrounding concerns of its impact on essential water supplies.
Europe and The Americas This Week
Russia: Foreign Ministry accuses US-based tech companies of interference in elections
On 10 September, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed to have “irrefutable evidence” on the interference of US-based tech companies in the Russian elections. The Ministry summoned the US Ambassador John Sullivan and expressed Russia’s intolerance in the matter. Even though the US diplomatic mission claimed to discuss stability of relations with Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied and criticized these claims while strictly demanding tech giants like Google and Apple to not interfere in the upcoming Russian elections.
Belarus: Maria Kolesnikova sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
On 6 September, Maria Kolesnikova, a singer turned activist and politician was sentenced to 11 years in prison for leading mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. She was charged with extremism and attempting to seize power illegally along with Maxim Znak, another opposition leader. Both the politicians claimed that the charges were absurd and denied any wrongdoing.
The UK: Government decides to send migrant boats back to France
On 9 September, the UK announced its plans to send back illegal boats coming from France. The decision has further intensified the disagreement between France and the UK as they try to prevent people from riskily crossing the Channel in dinghies. Home Secretary Priti Patel also expressed that the UK could restrict the flow of USD 75 million while claiming that stopping migrant boats was her number one priority. The French Minister responded to the decision by tweeting: "France will not accept any practice that goes against maritime law, nor financial blackmail.”
The UK: EU rejects demand to renegotiate N. Ireland protocol
On 8 September, the EU's Brexit coordinator rejected a British demand to renegotiate the Northern Ireland trading protocol and asked both parties to resolve the issues around it. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his government's stance, telling parliament that the protocol, as it was being applied, was not protecting the Good Friday peace agreement. European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic who oversees the EU's relationship with Britain after it left the bloc, is due to meet Irish prime minister Micheal Martin and visit Northern Ireland over the week to come up with possible solutions.
El Salvador: Government officially adopts bitcoin as legal tender
On 7 September, El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as a legal tender. In an interview with local media outlets, President Nayib Bukele explained the idea behind adopting the digital currency as a legal tender. He hoped that the use of the currency would enable the country to engage and open new financial opportunities and help the country out of its economic crisis. The country also disabled their state-run bitcoin-wallet to increase the capacity of the servers and accommodate new users.
Mexico: Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion
On 7 September, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that abortion is not a crime and announced that punishing abortion is unconstitutional. Although the ruling is effective only in certain regions, it sets a precedent for all judges in the country. Court President Arturo Zaldivar said: "From now on you will not be able to, without violating the court's criteria and the constitution, charge any woman who aborts under the circumstances this court has ruled as valid."
The US: Biden & Xi discuss transnational issues in the first call
On 10 September, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping was engaged in a 90-minute call, the first set of talks for the two leaders' in seven months amid cool relations between the countries. The two leaders discussed a wide range of transnational issues, including the investigation into the origins of COVID-19, climate, human rights, economic matters and respecting each other’s core interests. Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported that Xi suggested to Biden that the countries should continue with contact, dialogue, and cooperation. White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the call as respectful and candid, intended to keep channels of communication open between the countries and that it wasn't directed to produce final outcomes.
The US: Sets up a drone task force in Gulf amid rising Iran tension
On 9 September, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet said that it launched a new task force in the Gulf, with drones and artificial intelligence after maritime attacks showed Iran to be responsible. Since February, Iran and Israel have been accused of engaging in a "shadow war", in which vessels linked to each nation have come under attack in waters around the Gulf in tit-for-tat exchanges.
About the Authors
Sourina Bej is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Bonn. D Suba Chandran is a Professor and Dean in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Rashmi BR is a PhD scholar at NIAS. Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok are Research Associates at NIAS. Juan Mary Joseph is a research intern at NIAS.
![]() |
![]() |
Bookmark |
Abhishiktha S Kumar
Nepal’s Pro-Monarchy Protests:
IPRI Team
Devastating Earthquake in Myanmar
Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi
Sri Lanka’s Human-Elephant Conflict: What, Where and Why
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar: State of Perpetual War
Suchitra Jakkala
Sri Lanka Budget 2025: Three Major Takeaways
Padmashree Anandhan
Ukraine: US, Europe and a Fragile Road to Peace
Santhiya M
Decline of the Greens since 2005
Brighty Ann Sarah
Explaining the rise of extremism in East Germany
D Suba Chandran
Militants hijack a train in Balochistan: Where, Who and Why
GP Team
US-China tariff tensions
D Suba Chandran
Continuing Suicide Attacks in Pakistan: Why, Where and Who
IPRI Team
Ukraine and Gaza under Trump’s Shadow
Rohini Reenum
Inflation reaches a decade low: Why and What next?
Souparno Rakshit, Emma Rose Boby and Souparnika Suresh
Bangladesh's New Political Party: Who, Why and What for?
IPRI Team
Three Years of Ukraine War
GP Team
Munich Security Conference 2025
IPRI Team
Europe's Ukraine Dilemma
Anu Maria Joseph
The Civil War in Sudan: The Belated US Genocide Call and Sanctions
Anu Maria Joseph
Africa in 2024: Eight major developments
Anu Maria Joseph
Illegal mining in Southern Africa: Actors, Issues and Concerns
Padmashree Anandhan
NATO & The Arctic: A New Cold War
Padmashree Anandhan
NATO expansion in the Nordic: Return of the post-Cold War era
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
The unending mayhem in Kurram
Samruddhi Pathak
Namibia Elections | Explained
Sayeka Ghosh
The Mirai: Japan’s Polar Research
Neha Tresa George
Norway Stalls Deep-sea Mining Bill
IPRI Team
A Dangerous Offensive in DR Congo by M23
Anu Maria Joseph
Macron's Visit to Morocco: Key Takeaways
Anu Maria Joseph
Tunisia: Kais Saied's second term and end of democracy
Nupur Priya
Ireland Elections and What's Next?
C Shraddha, Vaishak Sreekumar, Kumari Krishna, Nova Karun K
Why did Justin Trudeau resign? What next for Canada?
IPRI Team
State of Peace and Conflict in 2024
Nupur Priya
UN’s Recent Report on Femicides: Six Takeaways
Prajwal TV
Political Crisis in France
Ashna Pathak & Surangana Rajya Laxmi Rana
Health diplomacy: Nepal's growing dependence on China
Femy Francis
China-Africa: The Ninth FOCAC Summit
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
Polio: Why is Pakistan vaccine hesitant?
Nuha Aamina
Pakistan and Climate Change: Four Takeaways
Rohini Reenum
PR Explainer: Pakistan’s Diabetes Problem
Ayan Datta
One Year of Military Coup in Gabon
Vetriselvi Baskaran
Nigeria: Protests over cost-of-living crisis
Anu Maria Joseph
Protests in Africa: Role of populist leaders
Padmashree Anandhan
Russia's Arctic Policy: Objectives, Priorities and Tools
Shreya Jagadeesan
Frozen Nightmare: A Pandemic Hibernating in the Arctic Ice
Advik S Mohan
The European Housing Crisis: A Background
Neha Tresa George
The Meloni-Starmer Meeting: Six Takeaways
Samruddhi Pathak
Serbia: Why are people protesting over lithium mining?
Neha Tresa George
Vladimir Putin visits Mongolia: Who wants what?
Vetriselvi Baskaran
South Korea-Africa relations: Objectives and challenges
Neha Tresa George
Attack on Nord Stream: Two years later
Advik S Mohan
Poland launches EagleEye Satellite
Padmashree Anandhan
Ukraine’s Kursk Offensive: What does Kyiv want to achieve?
Ronakk Tijoriwala
13 August 1961: East Germany begins the construction of the Berlin Wall
Arya Madhavan S
15 August 1971: Bahrain becomes independent
Ankita Chakra
17 August 1945: George Orwell publishes the Animal Farm
Rianne Rajath P
18 August 2019: Iceland holds a funeral for the Okjokull glacier
Anu Maria Joseph
Russia’s increasing footprints in Africa
Ayan Datta
Lavrov’s visit to Africa: Four takeaways
Anu Maria Joseph
Kenya: Protests force the government to withdraw the financial bill
Vetriselvi Baskaran
Kenya’s non-NATO ally designation by the US | Explained
GP Team
Interim government in Bangladesh
Prajwal T V
06 August 1912: NASA’s Curiosity lands on Mars
Ayush Bhattacharjee
08 August 1914: Endurance leaves England for Antarctica Expedition
Shifa Moideen
09 August 1965: Singapore declares Independence
Vetriselvi Baskaran
Energy in Pakistan: Five Takeaways
Mugdha Chaturvedi
Nelson Mandela's South Africa: The dream and the reality
Ken B Varghese
South Africa’s 30 years of democracy
Pummy Lathigara
28 July 2005: IRA announces the end of its armed campaign
Nivetha B
29 July 1958: The US establishes NASA
Leivon Victor Lamkang
29 July 1957: IAEA comes into force
Pranesh Selvaraj
4 August 2007: The US launches Phoenix, a mission to Mars
Nandini Khandelwal
Saddam Hussein becomes the President of Iraq
Ronakk Tijoriwala
Five women organise the Women's Rights Convention in the US
Shreya Jagadeesan
23 July 2020: China Launches its First Mission to Mars
Rohit Paswan
24 July 1911: The Rediscovery of Machu Picchu
Neha Tresa George
South Africa: The Decline of the ANC
Shilpa Joseph
South Africa Elections 1996-2024: An Overview
Vetriselvi Baskaran
South Africa Election 2024: Course, Issues and Outcomes
Vetriselvi Baskaran
A surge in attacks on girl’s school in Pakistan
Dhriti Mukherjee
Growth and Investment in Pakistan: Four Takeaways
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan: The decision to ban PTI
Shilpa Jospeh
Portugal: Democrats win over socialists by a thin margin
Govind Anoop
Hungary: Right Wing wins; Support shifts to Centre
Vetriselvi Baskaran
Belgium: Extremist parties see narrow win
Padmashree Anandhan
France: Rise of Far-right triggers political crisis
Karthik Manoharan
05 July 1962: The Algerian War comes to an end
Ayan Datta & Sayeka Ghosh
US Presidential Debate 2024: Trump exposes Biden’s weaknesses, promises stronger America
Vetriselvi Baskaran
One year of war in Sudan: Regional Implications
Anu Maria Joseph
Sudan: One Year of Civil War
Anu Maria Joseph
30 years after the Rwandan Genocide
Vetriselvi Baskaran
The 37th African Union Summit: Five takeaways
Anu Maria Joseph
Elections in Senegal: A democratic victory in Africa
Jerry Franklin A
South Africa Elections 2024: Five questions
Anu Maria Joseph
The Gambia: The genital cutting and the return of the FGM debate
Dhriti Mukherjee
Haiti: The UN backed Kenyan police force lands
Vetriselvi Baskaran
Punjab budget 2024-25: Prioritising Health and Initiatives
Dhriti Mukherjee
Sindh Provincial Budget 2024-25: Urban and Political
Padmashree Anandhan
European People’s Party (EPP) Leads with clear majority Country wise breakup
Neha Tresa George
EU elections - Part II: A profile of recent four elections (2004-2019)
Shilpa Joseph and Ken Varghese
Voting for the next MEPs
Femy Francis | Research Assistant at NIAS
06 May 1882: The US President signs the Chinese Exclusion Act, restricting immigration from China
Mugdha Chaturvedi
20 May 2002: East Timor becomes an independent country
Dhriti Mukherjee
Ten Years of CPEC-1 (Dasu Hydropower Project: A Profile)
By young scholars of NIAS Course on Global Politics: Contemporary World Order and Theories. Compiled by Sayeka Ghosh.
South Korea Elections 2024: An interview with Dr Sandip Mishra and Dr Vyjayanti Raghavan
By the NIAS-IPRI Course scholars on Contemporary Conflicts, Peace Processes, Theories and Thinkers. Compiled by Ayan Datta.
The War in Gaza: An Interview with Dr Stanly Johny
Mallika Joseph | Adjunct Professor, NIAS
21 May 1991: LTTE human bomb assassinates Rajiv Gandhi
Padmashree Anandhan
Putin-Xi Summit: Towards a Strategic transformation in Russia-China relations
Akhil Ajith
Chang’e 6 and China’s Lunar Exploration program
Femy Francis
Antony Blinken’s China Visit
Femy Francis
China in Mexico: What, How and Why
Dhriti Mukherjee
Lawyers’ protests in Lahore: Two Reasons Why
Rohini Reenum
Protests in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: What and Why?
Dhriti Mukherjee
9 May Violence: One Event, Different Actors, Multiple Outlooks
D Suba Chandran
The Fog of 9 May: One year after the anti-Establishment violence
Rohini Reenum
Pakistan and Wheat: From a Crisis to a Scandal
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (21 Apr- 27 Apr 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (14 Apr -20 Apr 2024)
Devi Chandana M
Seychelles-India Relations: Five Areas of Partnership
D Suba Chandran
Karachi: Seven Shades of Violence
Rohini Reenum
Recurrent floods in Pakistan: What and Why
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan's Position on the War in Gaza
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan's narrow tax base: Failures so far, challenges ahead
Sayeka Ghosh
26 April 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident
Dhriti Mukherjee
Profile: Street Crimes in Karachi
Femy Francis
Germany and China: It’s the economy, stupid
Arya Prasad
Elections in South Korea: Six Takeaways
Alka Bala
25 Years of Euro: What lies ahead?
GP Team
75 Years of NATO
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (25 Mar- 01 Apr 2024)
Devi Chandana M
Rise in China’s Marriages
Padmashree Anandhan
Ireland: Four reasons why Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigned
GP Team
Elections in Senegal
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week (16-22 March)
T C A Raghavan
March 1739: Nadir Shah invades Delhi
Karthik Manoharan
17 March 1992: The end of Apartheid in South Africa
Rosemary Kurian
18 March 2014: Russia annexes Crimea
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week
IPRI Team
Continuing Kidnappings in Nigeria
Sivasubramanian K
09 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes “The Wealth of Nations”
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (2-9 Mar 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (26 Feb-02 Mar 2024)
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week (1 March-7 March)
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week (24 February-29 February)
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
Sri Lanka: The rise of ultra-nationalism and elections
IPRI Team
The Battle for Avdiivka in Ukraine
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (11-17 Feb 2024)
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week
IPRI Team
Israel's Military Campaign in Rafah
NIAS Latin America Team
Latin America This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
IPRI Team
Protests in Senegal
Jerry Franklin A
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON): Five Questions
Padmashree Anandhan, Femy Francis, Rohini Reenum, Akriti Sharma, Akhil Ajith, Shamini Velayutham and Anu Maria Joseph
Expert Interview: Russia in the International Order
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar: Ethnic Armed Organizations, China’s Mediation and Continuing Fighting
Narmatha S and Anu Maria Jospeh
Ethiopia-Somalia tensions over Somaliland | Explained
CEAP Team
Taiwan elections
GP Team
Taiwan Election 2024
Femy Francis
Taiwan Election 2024: The return of DPP
IPRI Team
The War in Ukraine and Gaza
CEAP Team
NIAS- CEAP- China Reader | Daily Briefs
Padmashree Anandhan
The War in Ukraine: Drones, missiles and counterattacks
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia and Sudan: Governance in deadlock
Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.
Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
Richa Chandola | Richa Chandola is an independent scholar.
Peru in 2023: Political Tensions, Civil Unrest, and Governance Issues
Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.
Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
Shreya Pandey | Shreya Pandey is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Xavier’s College, Ranchi. Her research interests include EU-India relations, and current trends in international relations.
Russian Invasion on Ukraine: An assessment of its impact upon unity, economy and enlargement of the EU
Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.
The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
Rishika Yadav | Rishika Yadav is a Research Assistant at NIAS.
Finland in 2023: Challenges at Russia's border
Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.
Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
Anu Maria Joseph | Anu Maria Joseph is a Research Assistant at NIAS.
Ethiopia and Sudan in 2023: Governance in deadlock
Nuha Aamina | Nuha Aamina is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace and Public Policy, St Joseph's University.
Thailand: Economic stability despite political instability
Alka Bala | Alka Bala is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace and Public Policy, St Joseph's University.
Myanmar in 2023: Extended Emergency, Political Instability and State-led violence
Sayani Rana | Sayani Rana is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace, and Public Policy, St Joseph's University, Bangalore.
Australia in 2023: Challenges of Economy, Employment and Immigration
Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.
China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.
China and East Asia
Femy Francis | Femy Francis is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.
China in 2023: Cracks in the Great Wall
Amit Gupta | Dr Amit Gupta is an international security and economics analyst based in the USA
The US: The Year of Living Dangerously?
Kuri Sravan Kumar | Kuri Sravan Kumar is a PhD scholar at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi.
North Korea in 2023: Military buildups and Close Connections with Russia
Yogeshwari S | Yogeswari S is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.
South Korea in 2023: Addressing Climate Change and the Global Supply Chains
Abhishek Ranjan | Abhishek Ranjan is a PhD student at the Korean Studies, Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
East Asia in 2023: Big Power Politics and New Defence Strategies
IPRI Team
Special Edition: Conflicts in 2023
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #92&93 | COP 28 and Africa
Nithyashree RB
COP28 and Africa: Priorities and Initiatives
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #91 | Failed coup in Sierra Leone
Anu Maria Joseph
Sierra Leone: A failed coup
GP Team
Henry Kissinger: A profile
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #90 | Floods in East Africa
Jerry Franklin A
Floods in East Africa
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #89 | Africa’s debate on colonial reparations
Sneha Surendran
Africa’s debate on colonial reparations
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #87&88 | Elusive Ceasefires in Sudan
Anu Maria Joseph
Sudan’s ceasefires remain elusive: Four reasons why
GP Team
UK’s AI Summit
Femy Francis
Ten years of BRI: Xi and the Beijing Summit
Femy Francis
The return of the South China Sea
Femy Francis
BRICS Summit poised as the Champion of Global South
Femy Francis
Japan-Australia's Reciprocal Access Agreement
CR Team | Avishka Ashok
China: Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit emphasizes hope for statehood
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #85&86 | Niger-France ties and Liberia elections
Nithyashree RB
Liberia elections: Explained
Jerry Franklin
France's increasing unpopularity in Niger
PR Team
The Snow Leopards of Pakistan
Padmashree Anandhan
Poland elections 2023: Reasons behind the shift
Padmashree Anandhan
Ukraine: The failure of the Black Sea Grain Initiative
Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri
Issues for Europe
Yogeswari S | CSIS
Poland’s engagement
Prof Joyati Bhattacharya
G20 Summit: India the Global Host
Anu Maria Joseph
Africa in the Indian Ocean region: Explained
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan grapples with soaring electricity bills and free riders
Shamini Velayutham
Pakistan: Recent spike in Polio cases
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan’s power predicament: Soaring bills and public discontent
Ankit Singh
Pakistan’s Economy: Three questions
Sneha Surendran
From Cargo to Canvas: The vibrant world of Pakistani Truck Art
Anu Maria Joseph
Taiwan in Africa: The Last Ally and the Lost Allies
Feben Itty | CSIS
NATO’s Challenge
Genesy B | abcnews
Russia’s Endgame
Sreeja JS
Ukraine’s Strategies and Endgame
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #79 | Africa Climate Summit
Sneha Surendran
Africa Climate Summit: Rising new leadership in climate action
Nithyashree RB
Coup in Gabon: Three questions
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #78 | Coup in Gabon
Sneha Surendran
Wildfires in Europe: Another year of devastation
Rishika Yadav
Floods in Europe: Impacts, and issues
Padmashree Anandhan
Return of the Heatwaves
Jerry Franklin A
A profile on Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group
Sneha Surendran
A profile on Ethiopia’s Somali ethnic group
Nithyashree RB
A profile on Ethiopia’s Afar ethnic group
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia’s Amhara problem
Jerry Franklin A
ECOWAS and Niger remain at an impasse, causing a prolonged standoff
Lakshmi Parimala H
Mural, Movie and the Map: Akhand Bharat mural and Adipurush
Rishika Yadav
The High Seas Treaty
Indrani Talukdar
Ukraine War and the International Order
Jerry Franklin A
Coup in Niger: Manifold national, regional and international stances
Sneha Surendran
Senegal's political crisis: Four questions
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #73&74 | Coup in Niger and Senegal’s political crisis
Himani Pant
Germany-Russia Relations: What Next?
D. Suba Chandran
Que Sara Sara: Pakistan, Two Months After 09 May
Sneha Surendran
Pakistan’s e-Sport Industry: A Profile
Ramya Balasubramanian
Russia and Europe: Understanding Moscow’s strategies
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Return of Violence in Manipur
Nithyashree RB
The UN in Africa: MINUSMA has failed. So did Mali
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar continues to burn
Anu Maria Joseph
The Wagner Group in Africa: Fallouts of the failed revolt in Russia
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #69-71 | The Wagner Group in Africa
Lakshmi Parimala
Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine
Padmashree Anandhan
Rise and fall of the Wagner Revolt: Four Takeaways
Sneha Surendran
The Wagner Revolt: A profile of Yevgeny Prigozhin
Padmashree Anandhan
The War in Ukraine: Four Issues to watch in 2023
Rishika Yadav, Sneha Surendran, Sandra D Costa, Ryan Marcus, Prerana P and Nithyashree RB
Global Gender Gap Report 2023: Regional Takeaways
Harini Madhusudan, Rishika Yada, Sneha Surendran, Prerana P, Sreeja JS and Padmashree Anandhan
Russia: Anatomy of Wagner Revolt, and its Fallouts
Anu Maria Joseph
Resurging insurgency in Uganda and insecurity in East Africa
Jerry Franklin
Eritrea: Back to the IGAD after 16 years
Bibhu Prasad Routray
India: Violence continues in Manipur
Jerry Franklin
Tunisia: A Political Profile
Jerry Franklin
Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: Reasons for its continuation
Anu Maria Joseph
Ceasefires in Sudan: An uneasy trajectory
Rishika Yadav, Sreeja JS, Nithyashree RB, and Melvin George | Rishika Yadav is a Research Assistant in NIAS Europe Studies at NIAS. Nithyashree RB, Sreeja JS, and Melvin George are Research Interns in NIAS Europe Studies at NIAS.
The Battle for Bakhmut: Significance, Objectives, Course, and What Next
Nithyashree RB
Poland approves Russian Influence Law: Three Implications
Rishika Yadav | Research Assistant, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
Serbia: Mass shootings, protests and instability
Rishika Yadav and Nityashree RB | Research Assistant and Research Intern, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
Turkey’s Elections: Unravelling the Political Spectacle of 2023
Padmashree Anandhan | Research Associate National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Belgorod drone attacks: Who, What and Why?
NIAS Africa Team
In Focus | Japan in Africa
Devjyoti Saha
Japan in Africa: Renewed Efforts to Revitalise Relations
Indrani Talukdar
Russia's Position in the Arctic: New challenges
Lakshmi Parimala H
Bhutan's Gross National Happiness
Amit Gupta
The Trump Phenomenon: Why it Won’t Go
Rishika Yadav
Turkey’s Election: Issues, Actors and Outcomes
IPRI Team
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Stalemate
NIAS Africa Team
Droughts in East Africa: A climate disaster
NIAS Africa Team
Sudan: Intensifying political rivalry and expanding violence
NIAS Africa Team
Expanding Russia-South Africa relations
Padmashree Anandhan
Pentagon document leak: Russia-Ukraine Conflict From a Tactical Lens
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Tunisia: The question of undocumented migrants
Indrani Talukdar
Belarus’s endgame in Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Padmashree Anandhan
Russia: Drone attacks escalate the Ukraine war
Padmashree Anandhan
The UK: Conservative party put to test as worker strikes continue
Bhoomika Sesharaj
PR Explains: Pakistan’s power outage
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan’s Blue Helmets: A long-standing contribution
D Suba Chandran
Karachi: The race and new alignments for the Mayor
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Macron’s visit to Africa: Three Takeaways
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Nigeria elections: Ruling party wins; What is ahead?
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | M23 atrocities in DRC and upcoming Nigeria elections
NIAS Africa Team
Africa in 2023: Elections and conflicts
IPRI Team
The continuing crisis in Israel
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Africa
IPRI Team
Protests in Spain, Sweden and Israel
Avishka Ashok
China: A complicated economic recovery
Padmashree Anandhan
Europe: An impending energy crisis and its economic fallouts
Ankit Singh
Defence: Towards a new cold war
Riya Itisha Ekka
Brazil: Managing Bolsonaro’s legacy
Apoorva Sudhakar
Africa: Despite the elections, democratic backslide will continue
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan in 2023: Between elections, economic turmoil and climate crisis
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Sri Lanka in 2023: A troubling economy and an unstable polity
Avishka Ashok
Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Africa
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Bamako’s pardon of Ivorian soldiers
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The relapse of ANC
Allen Joe Mathew, Sayani Rana, Joel Jacob
Newsmakers: From Putin to Rushdie
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Rest in Peace; Queen Elizabeth. Mikhail Gorbachev, Pelé...
Ankit Singh
Global economy in 2022: The year of cooling down
Bhoomika Sesharaj
Digital world: Elon Musk and the Twitter Chaos
Madhura Mahesh
The FTX Collapse: Depleting cryptocurrencies
Harini Madhusudan
The Space race: Scaling new technological feats
Avishka Ashok
G20: More challenges
Akriti Sharma
COP27: Hits and Misses
Padmashree Anandhan
The Ukraine War
Poulomi Mondal
French Exit from Mali: More questions than answers
Mohaimeen Khan
Yemen, Syria, and Sudan: Continuing humanitarian crises
Padmashree Anandhan
NATO and the Madrid Summit: Expanding defence frontiers
Padmashree Anandhan
Elections in France, Sweden, and Italy: The rise of the right
Janardhan G
North Korea: Missile Tests Galore
Avishka Ashok
The Taiwan Strait: Political and military assertions
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia: Uncertainties despite ceasefire
Apoorva Sudhakar
Tunisia: The end of the Jasmine Revolution
Rashmi BR
Iraq: Deadlock and breakthrough
Kaviyadharshini A
Iran: Anti-government protests
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
Sri Lanka: Political and Economic Crises
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: The coup and after
NIAS Africa Team
The US-Africa Leaders Summit
IPRI Team
Workers strike in the UK
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | End of Operation Barkhane
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The ceasefire in Ethiopia
IPRI Team
Drone attacks in Russia
Vignesh Ram | Assistant Professor | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Malaysia’s recent Elections: More questions than answers
Vignesh Ram
Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia's new Prime Minister
Harini Madhusudan, Rishma Banerjee, Padmashree Anandhan, Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan, and Avishka Ashok
What next for Russia, Ukraine, Europe, South Asia & India, and China
Padmashree Anandhan and Rishma Banerjee
UNGA 77: Who said what from Europe?
Rashmi BR and Akriti Sharma
COP27: Ten key takeaways
Rashmi Ramesh
Ice Melt in Alps in Europe: Three impacts
Rishma Banerjee
Tracing Europe's droughts
Padmashree Anandhan
Major causes behind Europe’s continuing heatwaves
Emmanuel Selva Royan
100 days of the Ukraine war: US Responses in the war
Padmashree Anandhan
100 days of the Ukraine war: What next for Europe?
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
100 days of the Ukraine war: More loss than gain for Russia
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Challenges to peace in Eastern Congo
Avishka Ashok | Research Associate | National Institute of Advanced Studies
20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China: Major takaways
Angelin Archana | Assistant Professor, Women’s Christian College, Chennai
China's response to the Ukraine crisis: Shaped by its relationship with Russia and EU under the US Shadow
Shreya Upadhyay | Assistant Professor, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore
Transatlantic Ties in the Wake of Ukraine-Russia War
Uma Purushothaman | Assistant Professor, Central University of Kerala, Kerala
Ukraine and beyond: The US Strategies towards Russia
Debangana Chatterjee | Assistant Professor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore
Lessons from Ukraine War: Effectiveness of Sanctions
Himani Pant | Research Fellow, ICWA, Delhi
Ukraine and beyond: What next for Russia and Europe?
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Deal
Avishka Ashok
G20 Summit: Four takeaways from Bali
NIAS Africa Team
China-Africa relations: Looking back and looking ahead
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Chad's political crisis
Sourina Bej
Elections in Sweden
Padmashree Anandhan
Italy's far-right wins 2022 elections
Padmashree Anandhan
Putin’s address in the Valdai Discussion: Six takeaways
Devjyoti Saha
Solomon Islands’ China card: Three reasons why
NIAS Africa Team
Floods in West Africa: Nigeria and beyond
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Famine in Somalia
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Kenya Elections 2022
IPRI Team
Protests in Iran
IPRI Team
Clashes between Armenia-Azerbaijan
Padmashree Anandhan
Queen Elizabeth: End of an era
Padmashree Anandhan
Russia and Eastern Economic Forum 2022: A sturdy Far East
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The reinvention of Al Shabab
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Lavrov's visit to Africa
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Macron's visit to Africa
GP Team
Floods and Emergency in Pakistan
IPRI Team
Six months of War in Ukraine
GP Team
Regional round-ups
Padmashree Anandhan
Who will be the next UK prime minister: Liss Truss v. Rishi Sunak
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Tunisia's political crisis
NIAS Africa Team
Tunisia’s political crisis: Five questions
NIAS Africa Team
Tribal conflict in Blue Nile: Causes and Implications
STIR Team
Geopolitics of Semiconductors
Padmashree Anandhan
France: Uber files leak, and Macron’s trouble
Emmanuel Selva Royan
Italy: Three factors about its current political instability
NIAS Africa Team
Sudan-Ethiopia border tensions and a profile of Blaise Compaoré
NIAS Africa Team
Africa’s continuing migration problem: Three issues
STIR Team
China in Space: Shenzhou-13 and Tiangong
NIAS Africa Team
Africa’s displacement crises: Three key drivers
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Into the Sixth Decade of African Unity
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Communal Tensions in Ethiopia
Padmashree Anandhan
What does Macron's victory mean for France and the EU
Rishma Banerjee
The rise of Marine Le Pen
Sourina Bej
Four challenges ahead for President Macron
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Mali ends defence ties with France
GP Team
New US assistance for Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | UK-Rwanda asylum deal
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Africa, Russia, and the War in Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Political Crisis in Tunisia
GP Team
Russia's gas ultimatum to Europe
IPRI Team
30 days of War in Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
60 years of Algerian independence
IPRI Team
Sri Lanka’s worsening economic crisis
NIAS Africa Team
In Focus: Libya
IPRI Team
The end of Denmark’s Inuit experiment
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Europe and Africa: Will AU and EU be equal partners?
Anu Maria Joseph
Europe and Africa: Will AU and EU be equal partners?
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Lecture report: Ukraine, Russia and Europe
Joeana Cera Matthews
Into History: Northern Ireland and Bloody Sunday, 50 years later
Nireekshan Bollimpalli
Africa’s slow COVID vaccination continues. Four reasons why
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS: Conflict over the Nile Dam
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS: Instability in Burkina Faso
Padmashree Anandhan
Munich Security Report: Six takeaways
Joeana Cera Matthews
Europe and Africa: An elusive search for an equal partnership
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Femicides in Europe: The case of France
Padmashree Anandhan
Post Brexit: Three challenges in Northern Ireland
Porkkodi Ganeshpandian and Angkuran Dey
The return of the Left
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Lithuania and China: Vilnius has become Beijing’s Achilles heel. Four reasons why
Mohamad Aseel Ummer
Africa: The anti-France sentiments in Mali and beyond
Shalini Balaiah
The Middle East in 2021: Never-ending wars and conflicts
Angelin Archana
Russia in 2021: Expanding boundaries
Prakash Panneerselvam
East Asia in 2021: New era of hegemonic competition
Apoorva Sudhakar
Coup in Burkina Faso: Five things to know
Joeana Cera Matthews
In Europe, abortion rights are "a privilege." Four reasons why
Padmashree Anandhan
Mapping COVID-19 protests in Europe: Who and Why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan, US and Russia: Putin Online, Biden Offline
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The unrest in Kazakhstan: Look beyond the trigger
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Deepening Pakistan-Russia ties
D. Suba Chandran
Justice Ayesha: Breaking the Legal Ceiling
Ankit Singh
Pakistan's Judiciary in 2021
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Same Page Story: Civil-Military Relations in 2021
D. Suba Chandran
Pakistan's Foreign Policy in 2021
Ankit Singh
Pakistan’s economy in 2021: Major highlights
Ankit Singh
Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank
Apoorva Sudhakar
The PDM is back, again
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Qureshi’s visit to Brussels: Three takeaways
GP Team
The Complete Compendium for 2021
GP Team
The Americas in 2021
GP Team
Europe in 2021
GP Team
Middle East and Africa in 2021
GP Team
South Asia in 2021
Apoorva Sudhakar
Protests in Gwadar: Four major highlights
Ankit Singh
Mini budget, IMF and a contemporary puzzle.
Ankit Singh
Pappu Sain bids adieu to the world
Apoorva Sudhakar
Smog, pollution and more: Deteriorating air quality in Pakistan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
PTI’s secret dealing with the TTP and TLP
Vaishnavi Iyer
France, Algeria, and the politics over an apology
Joeana Cera Matthews
NATO-Russia relationship: Looking beyond the suspensions and expulsions
D. Suba Chandran
PTI’s TLP flip-flop and a secret deal
Apoorva Sudhakar
The increasing curbs on digital media freedom in Pakistan
Padmashree Anandhan
Facebook's Metaverse: Why it matters to Europe
Joeana Cera Matthews
Poland, EU and PolExit. It is complicated, for three reasons
Harini Madhusudhan
Europe's Energy Crisis and Gazprom
D. Suba Chandran
TLP: The government caves in again
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
TLP is back again
Apoorva Sudhakar | Project Associate, School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS
Pakistan’s transgender community: The long road ahead
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Since January 2021: Why the US President has not called Pakistan’s Prime Minister so far?
Apoorva Sudhakar
No honour in honour killing
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Military Reshuffle: A strategic or routine decision?
D. Suba Chandran
Dr AQ Khan: Between a national hero and a nuclear proliferator
Apoorva Sudhakar
Rising child abuse in Pakistan: Five reasons why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Hazara Persecution in Pakistan: No end in sight
D. Suba Chandran
Protests in Gwadar: Who and Why
Chetna Vinay Bhora
Europe's Energy Crisis: It could get worse. Five reasons why
STIR Team
Cover Story: War against Malaria
Aswathy Koonampilly
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old party
GP Team
Europe's Energy Crisis
STIR Team
The Science and Politics of Materials
Sourina Bej
France: Paris Terror Trial
Harini Madhusudan
Belarus: Weaponization of the Migrant Crisis
Juan Mary Joseph
Attacks on Chinese Investments in Pakistan: Who, Where And Why?
Joeana Cera Matthews
Haiti: Two months after the assassination, the storm is still brewing
Joeana Cera Matthews
From Crimea to Navalny: Putin's calibrated Europe strategy
Joeana Cera Matthews
Nord Stream-2: Why is the region unhappy about the pipeline?
Lokendra Sharma
Two months of Cuban protests: Is the ‘revolution’ ending?
GP Team
The New Afghanistan
STIR Team
Climate Change and Energy Options
Apoorva Sudhakar
Digital Pakistan: Idea, Potential and Challenges
Anu Maria Joseph
South Africa: What is behind the pro-Zuma protests?
Dincy Adlakha
China and Russia in Myanmar: The interests that bind
Sarthak Jain
Nord Stream 2 is Russia’s geopolitical victory
Jeshil J Samuel
REvil is dead. Long live REvil
STIR Team
Space Tourism
Keerthana Rajesh Nambiar
The EU Summit 2021: Five Takeaways
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Impending famine in Tigray, should make Ethiopia everyone's problem
Anu Maria Joseph
Too late and too little is Ethiopia's international problem
Sankalp Gurjar
Africa's Ethiopia Problem
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia's Tigray problem is Tigray's Ethiopia problem
Lokendra Sharma
The future of nuclear energy looks bleak
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Five reasons why Afghanistan is closer to a civil war
Mohamad Aseel Ummer
Migration in Africa: Origin, Drivers and Destinations
Dincy Adlakha
The new three-child policy is two decades too late
Dincy Adlakha
Loud Echoes of the National Security Law in China
Joeana Cera Matthews
Farfetched goals on pandemic recovery, climate action and economic revival
STIR Team
Rare Earths and the Global Resource Race
SDP Scholar
The Rise and Reign of Ransomware
Gurpreet Singh
India and the geopolitics of supply chains
Chetna Vinay Bhora
Spain, Morocco and the rise of rightwing politics in Europe over immigration
Vibha Venugopal
The return of Taliban will be bad news for women
Udbhav Krishna P
Revisiting the recent violence: Three takeaways
Joeana Cera Matthews
For the Economist, Taiwan is the most dangerous place. The argument is complicated
Apoorva Sudhakar
15 of the 23 global hunger hotspots are in Africa. Three reasons why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US decision to withdraw is a call made too early. Three reasons why
Lokendra Sharma
Learning from Cuba's vaccine development efforts
V S Ramamurthy and Dinesh K Srivastava
An energy mix of renewables and nuclear is the most viable option
Lokendra Sharma
Deadly second wave spirals into a humanitarian disaster
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US-Taliban Deal: One Year Later
Akriti Sharma
The Quad Plus and the search beyond the four countries
Apoorva Sudhakar
India's Endgames, Roles and Limitations in Quad
Sukanya Bali
Tracing the Quad's evolution in the last two decades
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: Five fallouts of the military offensive in Tigray
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Afghanistan: The recent surge in targeted killing vs the troops withdrawal
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
In Honduras, a move towards a permanent ban on abortion laws
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Civilian protests vs military: Three factors will decide the outcome in Myanmar
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Trump’s Climate Change legacy: Disruption and Denial
Apoorva Sudhakar
Trump’s Iran legacy: Maximum pressure, minimum results
N Manoharan and Drorima Chatterjee
Five ways India can detangle the fishermen issue with Sri Lanka
IPRI Team
Coup in Myanmar and Protests in Russia
D Suba Chandran
The PDM differences, Gwadar fencing, and Lakhvi's arrest
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Nagorno-Karabakh: Rekindled fighting, Causalities and a Ceasefire
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: For the pro-democracy protests, it is a long march ahead
Harini Madhusudan
Brexit: A year of the UK-EU transition talks and finally, a Deal
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: The conflict in Tigray and the regional fallouts
Aparaajita Pandey
The Americas: Top Five Developments
Teiborlang T Kharsyntiew
Europe: Top five developments
Sandip Kumar Mishra
East Asia: Top Five developments in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
Outer Space in 2020: Missions, Privatization, and the Artemis Accords
Sukanya Bali
5G, Huawei and TikTok: Four trends in 2020
Sumedha Chatterjee
COVID-19: How the world fought in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
The Vaccine Rush: Expectations vs Realities
Harini Madhusudan
Open Skies Treaty: The US should not have withdrawn, for five reasons
Savithri Sellapperumage
Kamala Harris makes history
Mallika Devi
China is against the Quad. Five reasons why
Srikumar Pullat
Space of Tomorrow: The Need for Space Security
Tamanna Khosla
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old Challenges
Vaishali Handique
Not just regime change: Women and protest movements in Sudan
Sneha Tadkal
Technology in contemporary global protest movements
Chavindi Weerawansha
Students as agents of change: Protest movements in Zimbabwe
Anju Annie Mammen
“Unveiling”: Women and protest movements in the Middle East
Harini Madhusudan
‘The Revolution of Our Times’: Protests in Hong Kong
Samreen Wani
Lebanon: Can Macron's visit prevent the unravelling?
Harini Madhusudan
The Legacy of Shinzo Abe. It is Complicated.
Boa Wang
Two Sessions in Beijing
Boa Wang
How China fought the COVID-19
N. Manoharan
Is COVID-19 a Bio-weapon from China?
Prof PM Soundar Rajan
Is there an overlap of 5G Networks and COVID hotspots?
Rashmi Ramesh
Will COVID-19 provide a new agenda to the NAM?
Harini Madhusudan
Iran's New Military Satellite: Does it violate the UNSC 2231?
Jenice Jean Goveas
Epidemics through History
Sanduni Atapattu
Preventing hatred and suspicion would be a bigger struggle
Chavindi Weerawansha
A majority in the minority community suffers, for the action of a few
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
The Cardinal sermons for peace, with a message to forgive
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Who and Why of the Perpetrators
Natasha Fernando
In retrospect, where did we go wrong?
Ruwanthi Jayasekara
Build the power of Co-existence, Trust, Gender and Awareness
N Manoharan
New ethnic faultlines at macro and micro levels
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
A year has gone, but the pain has not vanished
Jenice Jean Goveas
In India, the glass is half full for the women
Fatemah Ghafori
In Afghanistan, there is no going back for the women
Lakshmi V Menon
The decline in terrorism in Pakistan in 2019
Rashmi Ramesh
The EU and the Arctic: The interest is not mutual. Why?
Rashmi Ramesh
Iceland, Denmark and Norway: Small is Big in the Arctic
Harini Madhusudan
The Non-Arctic powers: Interests of Japan and South Korea
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia: New PM, Old Challenges
Lakshmi V Menon
Pakistan to remain “Grey”; North Korea and Iran in “Black”
Rashmi Ramesh
Trump's India Visit: Optics, Substance and Rhetoric
Kabi Adhikari
The controversial MCC Nepal Compact
Malini Sethuraman
ISIS post Baghdadi: Will there be another Caliphate in 2020?
Aarathi Srinivasan
Climate Change: The Economy of the Indian Ocean Region in 2020
Prathiksha Ravi
Israel and the Middle East: The New Alliance Plans in 2020
Padmini Anilkumar
Middle East: The Return of Russia in 2020
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan and Algeria: Road to Democracy in 2020
Lakshmi V Menon
Syria: ISIS Decline, US Retreat and the Return of Russia in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute: Towards further disruptions in 2020
Parikshith Pradeep
The US under Donald Trump: The Fall of an Empire in 2020
Vivek Mishra
After Soleimani assassination: Options for the US
Sukanya Bali
Iran, Iraq and the US: Who wants what?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Old problems to persist with no solutions in the near term
Aashiyana Adhikari
Indian and Chinese investments in Nepal: Managing asymmetry
Shailesh Nayak | Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Blue Economy and India: An Introduction
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
North Africa in 2019: A year of protests, with some positive results
Sukanya Bali
Hong Kong in 2019: China's New Achilles Heel
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute in 2019: Towards a thaw in 2020?
Parikshith Pradeep
The US in 2019: Trump rollsout a template for a global American retreat
Rashmi Ramesh
The Arctic Littorals: Iceland and Greenland
Harini Madhusudan
The Polar Silk Route: China's ambitious search in the Arctic
GP Team
Syria: Who wants what?
Harini Madhusudan
Violence in Hong Kong: Will the protests end?
Rashmi Ramesh
Is Catalonia Spain’s Hong Kong?
D. Suba Chandran
Why an Arctic foray is essential for India
Parikshith Pradeep
Russia's Polar Military Edge
Nidhi Dalal
Protests rock Chile, Bolivia and Haiti
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Will prosecuting Suu Kyi resolve the Rohingya problem?
Lakshman Chakravarthy N & Rashmi Ramesh
Climate Change: Four Actors, No Action
Sukanya Bali
Brexit: Preparing for the Worst Case
Lakshman Chakravarthy N
5G: A Primer
Rashmi Ramesh
From Okjökull to OK: Death of a Glacier in Iceland
Sukanya Bali
Challenges before Boris Johnson
Parikshith Pradeep
The Hong Kong Protests: Who wants what
Harini Madhusudan
The Hong Kong Protests: Re-defining mass mobilization
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific: Worth all the Hype?
Mahesh Bhatta
Monsoons first, Floods next and the Blame Games follow
Titsala Sangtam
Counting Citizens: Manipur charts its own NRC
Vivek Mishra
Can Hedging be India’s Strategy?
Lakshmi V Menon
Amidst the US-Iran standoff, Saudi Arabia should be cautious
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Russia, it was big power projection
Harini Madhusudan
For China, it was trade and a temporary truce
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
For Japan, it was commerce and climate change
Sourina Bej
For the US, it was trade, tariff and talks
Titsala Sangtam
Iran, US and the Nuclear deal: Europe in the middle?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Modi's Colombo Visit: Four issues to watch
Raakhavee Ramesh
Higher than the Himalayas: Pakistan and China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Across the Himalayas: Nepal and China
Mahath Mangal
The Russian Resurgence: Is the US supremacy waning?
Mahath Mangal
San Francisco wants to ban, Kashgar wants to expand
Jerin George
Espionage or Investigative Journalism?
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Huawei Controversy: Five things you need to know
Mahath Mangal
Why the world needs to look at Yemen
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Central Asia Connector
Harini Madhusudan
An Under-represented East Asia
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Africa Embraces the Belt and Road
Sourina Bej
It’s Europe vs EU on China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan: Between Democracy and another military rule
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Responses and Inspiring Lessons
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: Between Elections and Instability
Sourina Bej
Two Sessions in 2019: Four Takeaways
Lakshmi V Menon
The End of ISIS Caliphate?
Harini Madhusudan
For China, its a sigh of relief
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
For Vietnam, its a big deal
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Japan, No Deal is Good Deal
Sourina Bej
For South Korea, a costly disappointment
Harini Madhusudan
No deal is better, but isn't it bad?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The Other Conflict in Rakhine State
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Yemen: Will Sa'nna fall?
Harini Madhusudan
Sinicizing the Minorities
GP Team
US, South Korea and Thailand
Lakshmi V Menon
The Qatar Blockade: Eighteen Months Later
GP Team
Yemen, Venezuela and US-China
Sourina Bej
Maghreb: What makes al Shahab Resilient?
Harini Madhusudan
US-China Trade War: No Clear Winners
Abhishrut Singh
Trump’s Shutdown: Five Things to Know
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Will 2019 be better for the Rohingya?
D. Suba Chandran
Bangladesh: The Burden of Electoral History
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
US and China: Between Confrontation and Competition
Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu
Nepal
Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
The Maldives
Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
India
Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Bangladesh
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Afghanistan
Harini Madhusudan
China and Japan: Renewing relations at the right time
Sourina Bej
The INF Treaty: US withdraws to balance China?
Harini Madhusudan
The Khashoggi Killing: Unanswered Questions
Lakshmi V Menon
US and Israel: Trump's Deal of the Century
Nasima Khatoon
The New Maldives: Advantage India?
Harini Madhusudhan
To NAFTA or Not: Trump, Mexico and Canada
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia’s China Moment: The Mahathir Gamble
Sourina Bej
BIMSTEC: A Bay of Good Hope?
Young Scholars Debate
India, Imran Khan and Indo-Pak Relations
Siddhatti Mehta
Does Brexit mean Brexit?
Oishee Majumdar
Factsheet: China’s Investments in Africa
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The 8888 Uprising: Thirty Years Later
Harini Madhusudhan
The Tariff War: 'Stick of Hegemony' vs Vital Interests
Druta Bhatt
FactSheet: Shangri La Dialogue 2018
Rahul Arockiaraj
Immigrants as the “Other”: The Social and Economic Factors in the US
Divyabharathi E
Is Trump-Putin Summit a setback for the US?
Apoorva Sudhakar
India and Bangladesh: The Long Haul
Divyabharathi E
Quad as an alternative to the BRI: Three Main Challenges
Oishee Majumdar
FactSheet: India-Bangladesh Relations
D. Suba Chandran
Trump meets Putin; will it cost NATO?
Sourina Bej
Trump and the NATO: One Block, Different Views
Gayan Gowramma KC
Now, the United States withdraws from the UNHRC
Siddhatti Mehta
Will China be able to sustain its Dominance?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Why won't they do anything for the Rohingya?
Harini Madhusudan
The Idea of an US Space Force: Strategic Calculations
Apoorva Sudhakar
Afghan Peace: Reality or Illusion?
Hely Desai
Looking beyond Trump: Is the US declining?
Manushi Kapadia
Is China using its soft power to become superpower?
Lakshmi. V. Menon
Middle East: Has Russia chosen Israel over Iran?
Miti Shah
G7: Why Trump wants Russia in?
Hely Desai
FactSheet: G7 Summit
Siddhatti Mehta
The Panmunjom Declaration: “Tip of the Iceberg”
Druta Bhatt
Iran N-Deal and the Trans-Atlantic Divide
Manushi Kapadia
US and China: Towards a Trade War
Miti Shah
Palestine: US triggers new tensions
Divyabharathi E
The "Indo-Pacific Command": What's in the name?
Harini Madhusudan
Trump’s Tariff Strategy: Targetting Adversaries and Allies
Hely Desai
Trump-Kim Summit: Three Likely Outcomes
Apoorva Sudhakar
The Lebanon Pawn: Will it change after elections?
Lakshmi V Menon
Israel, the Game Changer?
Samreen Wani
Deciphering Turkey's External Push
Divyabharathi E
China and Russia: The New Alignments
Ann Maria Shibu
Can India afford to lose Maldives to China?
Dhruv Ashok
Why Maldives is important to China?
Lakshmi V Menon
ISIS and the Yazidi victims: Why the World should stand up?
Harini Madhusudan
US- China Tariff Face-off : Five questions
Jamyang Dolma
Why is Free Tibet important for India
Divyabharathi E
Arctic: The Strategic Significance
Lakshmi V Menon
Do we need the Quad?
Samreen Wani
Why Trump’s Iran exit is a big mistake?
Jamyang Dolma
Inter Korean Summit: Will it work?
Dhruv Ashok
The Fishermen Issue between India and Sri Lanka
Apoorva Sudhakar
Bangladesh's Economy: Decoding a Success Story
Ann Maria Shibu
Why India should not pull out of the Indus water treaty?
Divyabharathi E